Madam Yang née Shi hadn’t rested well these past two days, with prominent bags under her eyes. Her hair showed more white than black, and wrapped in plain hemp mourning clothes, she already appeared like an aged elderly woman.
Recalling Master Yang whom he’d met three years ago, Shu Ye silently understood why the master had transferred his affections. At that time, Master Yang was approaching sixty but remained vigorous, conducting himself with grace and elegance. When entrusting the property, he’d openly expressed his concern for his concubine of twenty years and his youngest son who hadn’t yet reached twenty.
At that time, to repay Master Yang for saving his life, Shu Ye had given him a Buddha’s hand-shaped jade pendant. He’d said that if the Yang family ever needed help, they could use the pendant as proof, and he would assist. Since Shu Ye had never met Concubine Liu, Master Yang had joked that someday Concubine Liu would use this pendant to reclaim the property from him.
Now that jade pendant hung at First Madam Yang’s waist. The green gleam against white mourning clothes was impossible to ignore. Thinking of Concubine Liu’s suicide and Young Master Yang’s apparent ignorance of the situation, Shu Ye couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The pendant had reached Madam Yang née Shi’s hands, and she deliberately displayed it. Even if the property were given to Yang Jingyuan, could he keep it?
“Hearing that sir rushed here without delay, I am deeply grateful. The master had many old friends, yet I never heard him mention how he came to know you. Could sir enlighten me?” Madam Yang née Shi noticed Shu Ye’s gaze. She was satisfied that he recognized the jade pendant. Since he recognized it, she could take her time probing his story.
Santai was over three hundred li from Yizhou. The Yang family servants sent to announce the death had only left when the city gates opened at dawn and were likely still on their way. How had Master Shu received the news? He’d arrived at midnight. With the city under curfew, how had he entered? In any case, someone the master trusted enough not to embezzle such substantial property couldn’t be simple.
Realizing she was probing his background, Shu Ye’s small eyes flickered before he frankly said, “It’s rather embarrassing. Years ago, I hired a boat to tour the Three Gorges, determined to brew tea with water from the upper, middle, and lower sections of Qutang Gorge. Instead of getting water, the boat capsized. I can’t swim, and just as I thought my life was over, Master Yang rescued me, saving my life.”
Madam Yang née Shi searched her memory—perhaps eight or nine years ago, her husband had taken a boat trip out of Shu to inspect the shops in Chang’an. The old steward who had served then was now retired. However, several guards from that time still served in the household. It seemed Master Shu wasn’t lying. She calmly asked, “I see. Pardon my curiosity, but what’s so special about brewing tea with water from the upper, middle, and lower sections of Qutang Gorge?”
Master Yang had indeed rescued someone from the river—a tea-obsessed bookworm. Shu Ye wasn’t worried about Madam Yang née Shi verifying his story. He repeated what that scholar had said years ago: “The upper Qutang flows too swiftly, the lower too slowly, only the middle section has the right balance. The upper tastes too strong, the lower too weak, and the middle just right. Using water from all three sections produces distinctly different flavors.”
“I am enlightened. May I ask what position sir holds?”
Those who understood tea weren’t common folk. Madam Yang née Shi didn’t want to circle with Shu Ye anymore and asked directly.
“I merely keep accounts for a household in Santai, earning a modest living.”
An accountant? He seemed insignificant. His thin silk-cotton jacket was made of fine gauze. Perhaps that brocade cloak was a gift from the master when new styles came out? Since the master trusted him, he probably wouldn’t embezzle Yang family property. If an ordinary person tried to deny the debt, the Yang family had ample means to deal with them.
Madam Yang née Shi spoke frankly: “Before his death, the master told me he’d entrusted some property to you. Said this jade pendant was proof.”
The pendant meant for Concubine Liu had become the legitimate wife’s—why still need him to transfer the property? First Madam Yang was lying. But if Concubine Liu hadn’t told, First Madam Yang wouldn’t know the pendant was proof for claiming the property. What circumstances had made Concubine Liu willingly surrender the pendant? It could only be for Yang Jingyuan’s sake. Shu Ye’s thoughts turned quickly as he nodded and said, “I came both to mourn Master Yang and to return the property to the pendant’s holder.” He took an inventory list from his sleeve and handed it over.
Xueqing took the list and presented it to Madam Yang née Shi. She pulled out the property record copied from Military Officer Shi’s files, and comparing the two lists, found no differences. Madam Yang née Shi felt a great weight lift: “Thank you for safeguarding this property for the Yang family.”
Seeing this, Shu Ye knew Madam Yang née Shi had come prepared, and he’d made the right choice. He smiled, “First Madam is too kind. I wish to stay briefly at the Yang residence to see Master Yang off one last time, if I may?”
To prevent gossip, Madam Yang née Shi wouldn’t mistreat him. Staying until Master Yang’s funeral would give him plenty of opportunities to interact with Young Master Yang. To Shu Ye, the person mattered far more than the property. Even if Yang Jingyuan received the property, if he angered Madam Yang née Shi, there were plenty of ways to bankrupt him.
Madam Yang née Shi secretly wished Shu Ye would leave quickly. Seeing him readily hand over the property, clearly unaware of its true owner, yet unable to properly drive him away, she returned the jade pendant to Shu Ye and instructed Steward Li to treat him as an honored guest.
After Shu Ye left, Yang Jingshan and Yang Jingyan could no longer contain themselves and asked about the property matter.
Madam Yang née Shi dismissed everyone else, keeping only the two brothers, and explained everything.
“Twenty years! He loved Concubine Liu for twenty years! I was magnanimous in allowing it, working hard to manage this household for him. Is this how he repays me? Yes, the Yang family won’t miss this property. But to make me watch him favor his illegitimate son—my heart feels like it’s been scalded with boiling oil, trembling with pain!” At this point, Madam Yang née Shi couldn’t hold back her tears.
The brothers could say nothing more. With large properties and shares in the Yang family brocade business, what was given to Yang Jingyuan truly didn’t amount to much. But their mother hated their father’s favoritism and heartlessness, and the brothers had no words.
“I raised Third Son. At three he could recite the Thousand Character Classic, at five he knew to use sugar paintings to earn money from the Fourth and Fifth Brothers. I kept him from learning brocade-making and commerce. I feared if I died before your father, he might elevate Concubine Liu, making Third Son legitimate, stealing the family business that should belong to my sons.”
Yang Jingshan sighed, “But treating Third Brother this way isn’t fair.”
Madam Yang née Shi shrieked, “Not fair? Was it fair to me that his foster mother enjoyed your father’s favor, not spending a night in White Egret Hall for twenty years? Being sons equally, was it fair to you that your father wouldn’t divide his private property into three equal shares?”
“At this point, we can only keep this from Third Brother.” Yang Jingshan looked down on that property. Given the choice, he could only side with his birth mother, “Son just worries that if Third Brother learns about Concubine Liu’s suicide…”
“It has nothing to do with me!” Madam Yang née Shi declared decisively.
She used some tactics, making Concubine Liu believe she needed to exchange the property for Yang Jingyuan’s safety. That was Concubine Liu’s imagination—what did it have to do with her?
“Concubine Liu gave up the property willingly. If she chose to hang herself, I didn’t force her!”
Yang Jingshan felt relieved. Third Brother was mischievous, spending his days idly since childhood—he could manage this property for him. Now in mourning, he couldn’t marry; after three years when he married and established his household, they could find an opportunity to return the property. This wouldn’t ruin their brotherly relationship. Having made up his mind, he instructed his younger brother to keep quiet.
Yang Jingyan always followed his elder brother’s lead and immediately agreed.