The attendant cautiously observed Wei Yan’s expression.
Wei Yan spoke in a deep voice, “Bring it here.”
Only then did the attendant go to the study door and carry the brocade box to the desk.
Wei Yan’s aged yet still piercing phoenix eyes examined the box before him. It was quite old, with the brocade fabric adhered to its surface having turned yellow.
He unlocked it and opened the box. Upon seeing its contents, a shadow immediately clouded his eyes.
Noticing his change in expression, the attendant quickly glanced at the items inside and exclaimed in shock, “Has… has He Jingyuan seen this letter?”
Inside the brocade box were a letter and a dark iron token.
Wei Yan picked up the letter, noting that while the envelope was old, its seal remained intact with no signature. It appeared as though someone had long ago placed the contents in a new envelope.
He said in a grave tone, “He didn’t dare open it.”
He tore open the envelope. As expected, inside was another letter that had been opened. Both the paper and envelope of that letter had yellowed and were stained with dried, oxidized blood that had turned light yellow.
On the envelope were written the powerful, vigorous characters: “To be opened by Meng Shuyuan.”
Though Wei Yan’s rule by imperial decree had been criticized at court for many years, his calligraphy still ranked among the great masters of the era. Anyone who had seen his handwriting could recognize that the characters on the envelope were his.
Upon seeing the letter inside, Wei Yan’s cold expression finally softened somewhat, though his eyes remained as sharp as a hawk’s. “The item I sent the Xuan rank shadow guards to retrieve, how did it end up in He Jingyuan’s hands?”
The attendant bowed his head, cold sweat forming: “This old servant will order an investigation immediately.”
Wei Yan waved his hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary. He noticed another memorial from Jizhou sent along with the brocade box. After opening and reading it, he tossed it onto the desk, saying, “He’s asking me to spare the two daughters of that traitor.”
Having served Wei Yan for many years, the attendant was naturally adept at reading people’s thoughts. Glancing at He Jingyuan’s memorial mentioning bandits attacking Qingping County and killing many innocent civilians, with the bandits now executed, he understood Wei Yan’s meaning.
He Jingyuan had found what Wei Yan wanted and hoped Wei Yan would cease his actions, sparing those two girls.
The attendant’s eyes flickered slightly as he said, “General He must be acting out of loyalty to his former comrade. You previously tested General He’s loyalty by ordering him to kill those two, which he did. It seems General He has always been loyal to you, merely showing misplaced compassion.”
Wei Yan laughed coldly, “Do you think he obtained this item earlier, or as he claims in his memorial, mistakenly thought it was the Qingping County bandit problem, sent troops to suppress the bandits, accidentally captured the Xuan rank shadow guards, and only then learned what I was seeking?”
The attendant pondered carefully, “After you ordered him to kill those two, didn’t you already send people to watch him? He Jingyuan doesn’t seem to have known about this item, so it’s likely the latter.”
Wei Yan said coldly, “Better to kill a thousand by mistake than let one escape. Though he didn’t open this letter, the fact that he thought to use it to ask me to spare that traitor’s daughters means he must have guessed what it was.”
The attendant cautiously asked, “Do you mean to… deal with him like the Marquis?” He made a throat-slitting gesture.
Wei Yan stared at the memorial on the desk, pondering for a long while before shaking his head. “It’s been over sixteen years since the Battle of Jinzhou. Only a few months ago did rumors about the deaths of Crown Prince Chengde and Xie Linshan suddenly resurface among the people. Zheng’s investigation into the battle records must have been guided by someone with ulterior motives. That person behind the scenes hasn’t revealed themselves yet but has already forced me to break my best sword.”
At this point, Wei Yan’s tone suddenly became sharp: “Now the battle in Chongzhou is at a stalemate, perhaps also due to that person’s secret interference. If we lose He Jingyuan’s blade now, we might as well hand over the southwest. That traitor was wise enough not to tell his two daughters anything about the past. Two inexperienced girls are not worth fearing, so we’ll spare their lives for now.”
The attendant praised, “The Chancellor is wise.”
In his heart, he understood that Wei Yan’s compromise to spare He Jingyuan’s life was only because He Jingyuan remained useful even after learning the truth about the Battle of Jinzhou. The man who had betrayed him only had two daughters, and what revenge could women seek? There was no need to worry about hidden dangers.
But Xie Zheng was different. The revenge for a murdered father could not be forgiven.
That’s why the man before him had acted preemptively, setting a trap in the Chongzhou battle to bring down this Great Yin war god who had been enfeoffed as a marquis at just twenty for his military exploits.
Wei Yan ignored the attendant’s flattery and took a final glance at the yellowed letter paper that had weathered sixteen years. He tossed it into the charcoal brazier beside the desk.
The red-hot silver charcoal instantly burned a large hole in the letter. As the dark brown hole in the paper grew larger, the entire letter was gradually consumed by flames. The weapons and bloodshed of sixteen years ago seemed to turn to smoke and ash in this firelight, with no one left to know the truth of those days.
Firelight reflected in Wei Yan’s eyes as he said gravely, “Let He Jingyuan handle the Chongzhou battle for now. The person who wants to bring the Battle of Jinzhou from sixteen years ago into the open won’t give up. Have the Di rank shadow guards watch closely. If there’s any more unusual activity, I must see that rat hiding in the dark, stirring up trouble!”
The attendant asked, “Could it be Grand Tutor Li’s faction…”
Wei Yan shook his head, his aged face showing the composure of one standing at the edge of an abyss: “If that old fool had noticed any clues about the Battle of Jinzhou back then, he wouldn’t have waited sixteen years to bring it up again.”
He continued slowly, “After Crown Prince Chengde died in battle, the Eastern Palace caught fire. The Crown Princess and the young prince both perished in the blaze. Half of the Crown Princess’s face was still recognizable, but the young prince was burned to a crisp. Let’s hope the one who died truly was the young prince.”
The attendant understood his implication and broke out in a cold sweat, saying, “The child who died with the Crown Princess must have been the young prince. Besides him, what other young boy would have been in the Eastern Palace?”
Wei Yan simply said, “Let’s hope so.”
In Jizhou, it was New Year’s Eve, but with the imperial army’s defeat in Chongzhou and Jizhou bordering Chongzhou, not a single official of the seventh rank or higher in all of Jizhou could enjoy a peaceful New Year. They had all been summoned to the Jizhou government office to discuss countermeasures.
A letter was delivered to He Jingyuan’s desk. After reading it, he sighed, “The Chancellor’s eldest son seems to think the fire in Chongzhou isn’t burning hot enough!”
Standing below, Zheng Wenchang asked, “What do you mean, sir?”
He Jingyuan handed the document bearing the Northwestern Military Commissioner’s seal to his subordinate. After the officials in the study passed it around and read it, discussions erupted.
Zheng Wenchang angrily said, “In the entire Great Yin Dynasty, with one capital and seventeen prefectures, the Northwest occupies four. Chongzhou has already rebelled, leaving only Huizhou, Jizhou, and Taizhou. Huizhou is a military garrison, and to weaken the Military Commissioner’s power, the court has always strictly forbidden garrisons from storing grain or farming. Now only Jizhou and Taizhou in the entire Northwest can supply grain. Yet Wei Xuan demands that our two prefectures each provide 100,000 shi of grain within three days. Isn’t this an impossible demand?”
Another official said, “I hear Taizhou couldn’t raise the grain, so yesterday the Military Commissioner sent troops to forcibly requisition it. The farmers’ seed grain for next year was all taken by the soldiers! Forget about spring planting; the common people will be lucky not to starve to death this harsh winter!”
“Those soldiers under Wei Xuan don’t treat the common people as humans at all. I heard they even beat several peasants to death for refusing to hand over grain. This hasn’t spread yet, but once it does, it’ll add another black mark to the Wei family’s reputation!”
He Jingyuan listened to the officials below arguing more and more heatedly without speaking. When their disputes reached a crescendo, he finally asked, “Why couldn’t the Northwest raise grain this year?”
The grain for the 100,000 troops in Huizhou Garrison had always been allocated by the imperial court. It was only because of the Chongzhou rebellion blocking the supply routes that provisions were delayed in arriving.
If the Chongzhou battle had ended earlier, it wouldn’t have come to this. But the Great Yin war god, Marquis Wu’an, had fallen there, greatly impacting the army’s morale.
The new Military Commissioner Wei Xuan was an ambitious glory-seeker. To quickly gain control of Huizhou’s 100,000 troops, he demoted or transferred away Marquis Wu’an’s important generals.
His people were unfamiliar with the Northwestern battlefields, suffering several consecutive defeats that further damaged morale. He forcibly extended the battle lines, exhausting Huizhou Garrison’s existing provisions.
With Huizhou in dire straits, normally the other three prefectures in the West could have provided supplies first. Even with only two prefectures left now, it shouldn’t have been impossible to raise any grain at all.
Zheng Wenchang, who had been arguing like a firecracker, bowed and said, “This subordinate ordered an investigation. Recently, a merchant surnamed Zhao bought up a lot of grain at high prices in Jizhou and Taizhou. The common people only kept coarse grains for their own consumption and seed grain for spring planting. They sold all other grain in exchange for silver to celebrate the New Year.”
He Jingyuan said, “Investigate this merchant Zhao.”
Zheng Wenchang acknowledged the order.
He Jingyuan said, “It’s New Year’s Eve today. Let’s end the meeting here. You should all head home early.”
The officials, who had been looking gloomy, brightened at his words. Still, they maintained their composure, bowing formally before leaving one by one.
Only Zheng Wenchang remained, his brow deeply furrowed.
With everyone else gone, he stood alone in the room.
He Jingyuan rose from behind his desk and, seeing Zheng still standing there, asked, “Why aren’t you going home?”
Zheng Wenchang said worriedly, “Sir since Wei Xuan has explicitly ordered our Jizhou Prefecture to gather 100,000 shi of grain within three days, what shall we do if we can’t produce it in time?”
He Jingyuan replied, “Didn’t I tell you to investigate that merchant Zhao?”
Zheng Wenchang remained silent. The merchant had started buying grain early on. Even if they tracked him down, if the grain had been sold elsewhere, it wouldn’t solve their immediate problem.
He Jingyuan suddenly stopped and looked at the young man before him, his gaze both gentle and firm. “Do you want me to do as Wei Xuan does and have our men seize grain from the common people?”
Zheng Wenchang quickly denied this, though his face still showed hesitation. “Then… how will you explain this to the Wei family?”
He Jingyuan said, “There’s always a way, but that way isn’t putting a knife to the people’s throats. Wenchang, it doesn’t matter what faction the court officials say we belong to. What’s important is that we know in our hearts that we serve as officials for the people of Great Yin.”
Zheng Wenchang bowed his head in shame. “This subordinate understands.”
He Jingyuan said no more.
Outside, heavy snow was falling like goose feathers. As he walked out of the study, He Jingyuan thought about what he had sent to the capital after learning of the defeat in Chongzhou. Wei Yan must have seen it by now.
The transfer order from the capital had arrived before Wei Xuan could cause trouble, so Wei Xuan was no longer a threat.
Wei Xuan’s current rush to requisition grain was likely due to his fear of punishment from Wei Yan, making him eager to achieve quick results.
With no one else left in the Northwest, He Jingyuan was the only one Wei Yan could use. His risky method of exchanging that item for the lives of those two sisters might just work.
This was all he could do.
Hearing the distant sound of firecrackers in the streets, a complex, melancholic emotion flashed in He Jingyuan’s eyes. “During festivals, we should make offerings to those who have passed. There’s an old friend for whom no one will burn spirit money anymore. I’m not worthy to face him. Wenchang, come with me outside the city. Burn some spirit money for my old friend on my behalf.”
Zheng Wenchang agreed.
A carriage drove out of Jizhou’s main city, stopping at a hillside.
The mountain wind howled as He Jingyuan personally lit incense, bowed three times towards the north, and planted it in the soil. He then stepped back, letting Zheng Wenchang burn all the spirit money there.
The wind fanned the flames, scattering unburned spirit money everywhere. White paper mixed with falling snow creates a desolate, bleak scene.
When Zheng Wenchang finished making the offerings and walked down the low hill, he saw He Jingyuan standing with his back to the hill, a sorrowful expression on his face.
On the return journey, Zheng couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, you’ve always been kind-hearted. Why do you say you’re not worthy to face your old friend?”
He Jingyuan sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, seemingly resting. Hearing the question, he only replied, “In times like these, there are things one must do, even if reluctantly.”
In Linan Town, the snowy ground was covered with soggy spirit money.
When the wind blew strongly, more spirit money scattered into the air.
The melted snow made the road difficult to traverse, turning it into a muddy mess. Fan Changyu carried Changning along the field ridge, while Xie Zheng followed behind with an expressionless face, carrying a bamboo basket full of incense, candles, and spirit money.
It was a local tradition to visit ancestors’ graves on New Year’s Eve to burn incense, light candles, and offer spirit money.
Fan Changyu’s parents were buried on a hill with excellent feng shui just outside town.
Being a new grave, there was hardly any grass in front of it. Upon arrival, Fan Changyu set Changning down.
It had been nearly two months since their parents passed away. Seeing the two graves, tears immediately welled up in Changning’s grape-like eyes. “Father, Mother…”
Fan Changyu stroked her younger sister’s head, comforting her, “Don’t cry. It’s the New Year; we should be happier. Our parents can see us now, and they’ll be at peace in heaven.”
Little Changning tried hard to sniff back her tears, holding them in.
After lighting the incense and candles, Fan Changyu had Changning kowtow before the graves, while she took out the spirit money from the bamboo basket and burned it in an iron basin specially meant for paper ashes.
After kowtowing, Changning also squatted down to burn spirit money with Fan Changyu. Seeing Xie Zheng standing aside, she gave him a large portion of her spirit money, saying, “Brother-in-law, burn some paper!”
Xie Zheng hesitated briefly before taking the spirit money and burning it. The smell of burning paper was somewhat acrid, and the rising smoke made Changning’s eyes water. She had to step aside for a moment.
Only Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng remained by the fire basin.
Xie Zheng noticed that she had divided the spirit money in the basket into four portions and asked, “Who are the other two portions for?”
Fan Changyu replied, “My maternal grandfather and grandmother. In the past, my parents would make offerings to them. Now that my parents are gone, we might as well burn offerings for them all together.”
Xie Zheng frowned imperceptibly. Her mother didn’t even know her original surname, so how could she know her parents’ birth dates and times?
He increasingly felt that the surname on her mother’s ancestral tablet had been deliberately concealed.
As for why her father’s surname wasn’t hidden, either Fan wasn’t her father’s original surname, or… her father had previously used another surname.
Though suspicions arose in his mind, he had no intention of asking about her grandfather’s surname.
He could already guess the result, and if he asked, she would know nothing about it anyway.
Seeing his silence, Fan Changyu thought he was remembering his deceased parents and generously said, “We have extra spirit money at home. Later, you can burn some for your parents too.”
Xie Zheng’s long fingers pinched a piece of spirit money curling in the flames, his eyes showing a hint of indifference in the firelight and smoke. “Does burning these things work?”
Fan Changyu couldn’t answer this question. After some thought, she said, “Maybe it does. The elders say that people need money in the afterlife to bribe the underworld officials, or they’ll suffer. Even if it doesn’t work, it’s a way of remembering them.”
Burning spirit money during festivals means there are still people in this world who remember the deceased.
Xie Zheng said no more, only occasionally throwing more spirit money into the basin. His eyelashes were half-lowered, making it impossible to discern the meaning of his gaze.
He threw in too much spirit money at once, causing it to pile up unburned and create thick smoke. Fan Changyu was almost brought to tears by the smoke. She closed her eyes and turned her face away, saying, “Don’t put in so much at once.”
She reached out to feel for spirit money in the bamboo basket but instead touched a cool, large hand.
Fan Changyu quickly let go as if electrified, opening her tear-filled almond eyes, both embarrassed and flustered. “I’m sorry.”
The warmth of her touch still lingered on the back of his hand. Xie Zheng lightly pressed his lips together, about to say “It’s alright,” when he looked up and saw her embarrassed state, with tears in the corners of her eyes and reddened eyelids. He was momentarily stunned.