Ji Yingying wanted to chase after him but stopped herself. Her brother and sister-in-law had gone to the Yang household and would surely bring back news. Yang Jingyuan needed to keep vigil; how could she call him away from the mansion again? In the eyes of the Yang family, that would appear too inconsiderate.
Ji Fu, who hadn’t gone far, watched Yang Jingyuan leave and walked back with a smile.
“Uncle Ji Fu, let’s wait near the Yang residence for my brother, so they won’t need to find another carriage home.”
Ji Fu agreed and drove the carriage away.
The lane leading to the Yang residence was filled with carriages of mourners. Ji’s family’s mule cart couldn’t possibly get through. Ji Fu had to park far away, telling Ji Yingying, “Young Miss, please stay seated in the carriage. This old servant will wait at the gate for the Young Master and Young Mistress.”
After sitting in the carriage for a while, Ji Yingying overheard the nearby carriage drivers gossiping.
One said, “I heard Concubine Liu died of love following Master Yang’s death.”
Another scoffed, “Whether it was dying of love is questionable. Master Yang favored Concubine Liu exclusively for twenty years. Once the master passed, Concubine Liu lost her protection. You know how things go in the inner courtyards of great houses, heh heh.”
“That Yang Third Young Master was favored in the household. How much of the estate do you think Master Yang left him?”
“Estate? He’s just a son of a concubine. Even if Master Yang wanted to leave him more, would the First Madam allow it? After all, he’s not her flesh and blood. His previous favored status was only due to the master’s regard. I’d say Yang Third Young Master’s days ahead will be difficult.”
Ji Yingying’s heart grew heavier. Why hadn’t she lifted the curtain earlier to see him? He was all alone now, and not First Madam’s birth son. If First Madam treated him poorly, what would he do?
As she pondered this, Ji Fu returned with Master Ji Yaoting and his wife.
Once they boarded the carriage, before Ji Yingying could ask, Ji Yaoting shook his head and said, “The Yang household was overwhelmed with mourners, they couldn’t attend to us. Brother managed to console Yang Third Young Master briefly. He seemed fine, just said everything would wait until after the master’s funeral.”
The matter to wait for was their marriage.
Ji Yingying untied a fragrance pouch from her waist and said, “Brother, please give this to him. Tell him I’ll wait for him.”
What else could she do? Originally, Yang’s Third Young Master was to marry her on the twelfth of the fourth month. With Master Yang’s death, the Ji family couldn’t possibly break off the engagement. Moreover, the initial marriage arrangement had been helped along by Madam Yang.
Ji Yaoting took the pouch and made another trip. When he returned, he brought back a plain white sachet embroidered with orchid grass. Ji Yaoting smiled, “Now that both families have exchanged betrothal gifts, this exchange of tokens between you two is proper. Third Young Master said this was his foster mother’s keepsake, asking you to keep it safe.”
Touching the delicate embroidery on the sachet, Ji Yingying praised, “His foster mother was so skilled. It’s a pity I never met her.” Holding the sachet, her heart found peace. Ji Yingying thought silently, three years it is then. In three years, she would be nineteen, and Yang Jingyuan only twenty-one. As long as their hearts remained unchanged, they could live well together even without the Yang family estate.
As dusk fell, guests gradually departed. The Yang clan elders remained behind. After dinner, the three legitimate branches of the Yang family gathered in the White Egret Hall.
“Are all three legitimate branches present? I shall now open Master Mu Hall’s will,” said Eighth Grand Uncle Yang, the eldest of the Yang clan, shakily standing with his grandson’s support.
He showed that the will’s wax seal was intact before opening it publicly. Comparing it with another copy produced by Madam Yang née Shi, they confirmed both were in Master Yang’s handwriting and identical in content.
The Yang family estate had already been divided once before the passing of the old master and mistress. Today’s division concerned only the First Branch’s properties. The Second and Third Branches were merely witnesses. Second Master Yang and Third Master Yang confirmed this without objection.
As Second Master Yang listened to Eighth Grand Uncle drone on about various properties and their allocation, he couldn’t help stealing glances at Yang Jingshan and Yang Jingyan. The Nanzhao White Prince had been clear that day. Once his elder brother passed away, he would help remove Madam Yang née Shi’s two legitimate sons from succession as family head. Now both legitimate sons of the First Branch were fine—would Sheng Fengze still help him? He still didn’t understand the Nanzhao White Prince’s motives. Perhaps Sheng Fengze was waiting for him to offer terms? At this point, he had no way back. He had to act before Yang Jingshan succeeded as family head.
While he pondered, Eighth Grand Uncle finished reading the will: “Regarding Master Mu Hall’s arrangements, does First Madam have any objections?”
Master Yang had left Yang Jingyuan a villa in Qingcheng Town, along with thirty mu of farmland. In the city, there were two shops. It was the smallest share. If Military Officer Shi hadn’t examined the records and discovered the property list transferred to Master Shu, Madam Yang née Shi would have thought the villa was simply for Yang Jingyuan’s martial arts practice and the shops for his personal use. The thought of Longquan Post Station’s Sangshan and its silk households, along with over ten consecutive shops in the city’s Jinli district, made Madam Yang née Shi furious.
She glanced at Yang Jingyuan and said, “I have no objections.”
Yang Jingyuan silently signed and stamped the deed, took his portion, and withdrew.
Eighth Grand Uncle continued, “According to Yang family rules, the position of family head is inherited through the First Branch’s eldest son’s line. How the First Branch divides its property is up to the First Madam. Elder Young Master has managed the Yang family business for many years; the succession ceremony will be held after the funeral when the clan will open the ancestral hall and record it in the genealogy. It’s getting late, let’s leave it at that.”
After seeing off the clan elders and the Second and Third Branches, Yang Jingyuan volunteered, “Mother and elder brothers should rest. I’ll keep vigil for Father tonight.”
Madam Yang née Shi had heard about his actions at the courier station today, and considering her attitude today, felt somewhat guilty. She said lovingly, “Mother was in a poor mood today and spoke harshly. Third Son, don’t blame mother.”
“Mother is exhausted, and it’s my fault for acting rashly. How could I blame mother?” Yang Jingyuan replied softly.
His response greatly pleased Madam Yang née Shi. Having permanently concealed that portion of the estate, if Yang Jingyuan remained well-behaved in the future, with his elder brothers being over ten years his senior, they would surely ensure his comfortable living. After the forty-nine days of mourning and the funeral, once the ancestral hall confirmed Elder Young Master as family head, she would move to Retirement Contemplation Court to enjoy her remaining years.
“Go ahead. Starting tomorrow, you three brothers will take turns keeping vigil for your father,” Madam Yang née Shi said with a smile.
As the night deepened, the spirit money floated up with red flames in the bronze basin, consumed in an instant. Just like life itself. The fiery passion of youth passes, leaving behind ashen gray twilight years.
Yang Jingyuan knelt on the prayer mat, staring absently at the paper ashes blown by the wind. Sang Fourteen had once mentioned that his father had transferred substantial properties to someone. When he later asked his father about it, his father said it was for his foster mother’s security. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Today, as Eighth Grand Uncle read the will dividing the properties, he remembered this matter.
“Sang Fourteen said that person’s surname was Shu,” Yang Jingyuan’s memory grew clearer as he recalled, “Yes, it was Shu. Were foster mother’s blood-written characters telling me to find Master Shu?”
Why hadn’t his foster mother told him directly? He was her flesh and blood; couldn’t she wait to see him one last time? Even if she was determined to die to accompany her father, surely she had time to write a letter, rather than biting her finger to write in blood. Had the legitimate mother forced his foster mother to hang herself? Yang Jingyuan suddenly thought of this possibility and shuddered violently.
“No, it can’t be. Mother raised me, she wouldn’t… wouldn’t do such a thing for some property. Father was always careful, specifically entrusting Chronicles Officer Sang, he wouldn’t have let Uncle Shi know.” Yang Jingyuan spoke disjointedly, his heart pounding furiously.
He stood up from the mat, pushed aside the curtain, and knelt before the coffin. The curtain separated the space, and Yang Jingyuan leaned against the coffin, feeling as if his father was beside him. His forehead pressed against the coffin, eyes brimming with tears: “Father, what should Third Son do?”