Qiushi dared not speak the truth. Having been thrown into the water once, he naturally didn’t want to risk it again. Wiping water from his face, lies flowed smoothly from his mouth: “I accidentally bumped into Miss He. Before I could apologize, Shu’er recognized me as a servant from the Liu household. For some reason, her maid became furious and threw me into the river by my collar. I truly didn’t mean to provoke them.”
Wu San pondered silently. Could it be that after Jiang Changyang left, Wu Shiqiniang said something offensive, angering Mudan and her servants? Since Liu Chang had previously offended Mudan, and the He family deeply resented the Liu family, did Feng Daniang take out her anger on his servant? No, Mudan wasn’t the type to arbitrarily mistreat subordinates. This boy must be lying.
Seeing Wu San’s silence, Qiushi hurriedly added, “I’m telling the truth. They hate my young master.” This statement was somewhat true.
Wu San smiled and extended his hand. “Come, give me your hand. Catching a cold is no joke. Your name is Qiushi, right?”
“Yes,” Qiushi replied, relieved that Wu San seemed to believe him. He reached for Wu San’s hand, complaining, “This river in the mansion is strange. It looks shallow, but the banks are so high, steep, and slippery. It’s hard to climb out…”
Wu San, his mind elsewhere, watched Qiushi’s movements. “Indeed. I should find an opportunity to speak with my young master about renovating it. Making it deeper would be better.”
Qiushi had already climbed halfway up when he realized something was off about Wu San’s words. His grip suddenly loosened, and he frantically tried to grab the bank but missed and splashed back into the water.
Wu San smiled at him. “Why didn’t you hold on tight? Come, try again.”
Qiushi wasn’t stupid. He quickly understood Wu San’s intentions, but he didn’t dare tell the truth. He’d rather fall ill than be sold out by Liu Chang. Standing in the river, he anxiously looked for a lower part of the bank.
Seeing Qiushi’s eyes darting around, Wu San smiled faintly and pointed ahead. “The bank is lower over there. Head that way.”
Qiushi didn’t trust Wu San, suspecting that area would be even higher. Wu San spoke softly, “It’s late autumn now. The water will only get colder. Either give me your hand or stand here until your young master comes to find you. I’m sure he’d be delighted to let you fall ill for a while. I’ll find out what you did earlier anyway, and then I’ll throw you into the Yellow Canal to feed the fish. But if you tell the truth, it’ll be different. I promise no one will know, especially not your young master.”
Qiushi found Wu San’s smile colder than the water. He lowered his head, considering his options, but still firmly shook his head. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Fine, stay there then,” Wu San said, turning to leave. “I can’t pull you out alone. I’ll go find someone.”
As Wu San reached the winter jasmine bushes, Jiang Changyang emerged with Pan Rong, who was holding a child, and Liu Chang following closely. It wasn’t a good time to talk, so Wu San gave Jiang Changyang a look, gesturing towards the main gate to indicate that Mudan had left. Jiang Changyang subtly raised his chin in acknowledgment.
Wu San approached Liu Chang and bowed, smiling, “Magistrate Liu, do you have a servant named Qiushi?”
Liu Chang nodded. “Yes, what about him?”
Wu San lowered his hands and smiled. “Forgive me for saying this, but the boy said and did some inappropriate things earlier, offending Miss He. He got scared and fell into the river.” He spoke with certainty.
Jiang Changyang frowned, glancing at Liu Chang before looking at Pan Rong, who feigned ignorance with a smile when he caught his gaze.
Liu Chang asked in surprise, “Is that so? What did he do? Please tell me, Wu Steward, so I can punish this servant severely.” His expression remained natural, as he had become increasingly adept at controlling his facial expressions as needed.
Wu San sighed reluctantly. “Let’s not speak of those words… I just ask that you don’t take offense, Magistrate Liu. I tried to pull him out earlier, but perhaps due to his fear, his hands and feet were shaking, and he couldn’t climb up.”
“This useless servant has truly disgraced me,” Liu Chang said, feigning anger and embarrassment as he walked towards the river. Inwardly, he was pleased. Regardless of whether Qiushi had botched the task, as long as Mudan left angry and remembered the incident, that was good enough.
Recently, Liu Chang’s greatest progress has been in uncovering the private affairs and secrets of various important households in the capital. While Duke Zhu might not have such intentions now, who knew about the future? Jiang Changyang was always on Duke Zhu’s mind, and he still hadn’t named Jiang’s second son as his heir apparent. Wasn’t that telling enough? Especially after the news of Lady Wang’s potential remarriage, Duke Zhu surely wouldn’t allow Jiang Changyang to roam freely outside. Thinking of this and recalling Li Xing’s example, Liu Chang’s mood soared.
As soon as Qiushi crawled out of the river, Liu Chang approached with a grim face and kicked him. “You dog of a servant, what exactly did you do? Speak up quickly if you want to live.”
Qiushi lay on the ground, crying pitifully, “Young Master, I truly didn’t mean to.”
Liu Chang glanced at Jiang Changyang and shouted angrily, “If you want to live, hurry up and confess what you did.”
Qiushi repeated the same story he had told Wu San.
Jiang Changyang looked at the master and servant pair with disgust, then motioned for Pan Rong to follow him aside. “Either you handle this cleanly, or I will do it for you.”
Pan Rong’s smile faded, and he spoke with difficulty, “I admit I didn’t think this through, but he’s my best friend and has helped me before… When his family held a banquet, I brought you there, and he treated you well. The city gates are closed now; I can’t just send him away like this. Can you give me a face this once? We’ve been friends since childhood, and I’ve never done anything to wrong you. Please?” Seeing Jiang Changyang unmoved, he bit his lip and played his trump card: “If not for me, then for my brother’s sake, just this once.”
Jiang Changyang’s lips tightened, and he stared at Pan Rong in silence.
Seeing Jiang Changyang’s expression, Pan Rong inwardly sighed in relief, realizing he had succeeded. Outwardly, he maintained a playful demeanor. “Let’s not mention my brother. It’s all my fault, okay? But Chengfeng, I’m saying, at least pretend. Let him stay one more night, and I promise he’ll leave in the morning. It’s just one night, and making an extra enemy won’t do you any good. He’s been with us the whole time; it’s his servant who was out of line. Why not punish the servant to vent your anger? He’ll still feel humiliated.”
“I don’t understand what’s so good about him that makes you treat him this way,” Jiang Changyang said, fixing Pan Rong with a steady gaze. “Pan Erlang, remember this: I’m not a three-year-old child you can fool. I’m not like you all. Why should I beat that servant? What would that accomplish?”
Pan Rong watched as Jiang Changyang’s tall figure quickly circled the winter jasmine bushes, crossed the stone-paved courtyard, exited the main gate, took the reins from a servant, and rode away on horseback. The smile gradually faded from Pan Rong’s face, his shoulders slumping as he stared expressionlessly at the pebbles at his feet. Pan Jing, sensing his father’s low spirits, anxiously tugged at his hand and called out in a childish voice, “Father?”
Why be friends with Liu Chang? Of course, Jiang Changyang wouldn’t understand – they were birds of a feather. Pan Rong’s smile instantly brightened as he crouched down to touch Pan Jing’s face, pointing at the pebbles on the ground. “Son, look at these pebbles. Aren’t they pretty? See, this one is colorful. It’s called red. Red.”
Pan Jing, only knowing that his father was playing with him, also crouched down and poked at the pebbles with his finger. Then, furrowing his brow in a thoughtful expression, he said, “Red?” Pan Rong burst into laughter and looked at Wu San. “I bet he doesn’t understand what red is. Want to make a wager?”
Wu San respectfully smiled. “Young Master, the little one is still young. He’ll understand one day.”
Pan Rong gently stroked Pan Jing’s head and sighed. “Yes, he’s still little. So little that he can cry when he wants to cry and laugh when he wants to laugh.” He picked up Pan Jing and walked towards Liu Chang, saying, “Zishu, let it go.”
Liu Chang turned around. Seeing that Jiang Changyang was no longer nearby, he quickly understood what had happened and said frankly, “I’ll leave right away.”
Pan Rong frowned slightly. “Where can you go at this hour?”
Liu Chang replied calmly, “With money, there are plenty of places to stay.” He wasn’t about to stoop so low as to rely on others’ pleas and shamelessly overstay his welcome. Leaving here would give him a chance to look around elsewhere.
Pan Rong was silent for a moment before speaking seriously, which was rare for him. “Zishu, listen to me. It’s already come to this point, so just let it go. Think about what we’ve discussed. Don’t provoke him, okay?”
He’s not afraid of him. Liu Chang pressed his lips together, not responding to Pan Rong’s words. He only said, “I’ll go first. Remember to find me when you return to the city.” The spectator had left, so there was no need to continue the act. He called for Qiushi to get up, nodded to Wu San, and the master and servant pair walked out one after the other.
Wu San loudly ordered someone to bring out a horse for Liu Chang. Qiushi glanced timidly at Wu San, wondering if he would have someone throw him into the Yellow Canal to feed the fish now that he knew the truth. But Wu San didn’t even spare him a glance.
Another one is gone. Pan Rong thought, rubbing his chin. He should have been as angry as Jiang Changyang, declaring that insulting his friend was insulting him, then gracefully leaving with Liu Chang. But he knew he couldn’t. So he turned back to Wu San with a smile, “The food today was excellent. I heard Chengfeng say you selected everything?”
The sun had just disappeared behind the distant mountains, with the evening star twinkling in the dark blue sky as if mocking him for being unceremoniously driven out. But what did it matter? He wasn’t innocent anyway, and achieving one’s goals always comes at a price. Liu Chang tossed his cloak to Qiushi, who had just sneezed loudly in the evening breeze. “Well done. When we return, go to the steward and tell him I said to increase your monthly allowance by one string of cash. Also, have two good sets of clothes made.”
Qiushi clutched Liu Chang’s fragrant brocade cloak tightly, tears of gratitude in his eyes. “Young Master, where shall we go now? Perhaps find an estate? Most peasant homes would be too dirty to stay in.”
Liu Chang raised his eyes to the harvested rice fields around them and the winding road ahead. He urged his horse forward slowly, saying quietly, “Just follow the road. We’ll go wherever it takes us.”
Qiushi watched him, feeling that his master didn’t know where to go either.
Jiang Changyang galloped his horse, soon catching sight of Mudan and her two servants ahead, riding at a leisurely pace. Mudan sat gracefully on her chestnut horse, the double golden hairpins in her black hair glinting in the twilight, accentuating her dark tresses. Her slender, sturdy waist swayed rhythmically with the horse’s movement. She rode at a moderate pace, occasionally conversing with Feng Daniang and Shu’er.
Jiang Changyang sped up to catch them. Hearing the hoofbeats, the three turned to look at him. Jiang Changyang carefully studied Mudan’s expression. She smiled at him and reined in her horse to wait, appearing normal and not angry. He returned a big smile.
He stopped precisely one horse-length away from Mudan, trying to keep his voice casual: “Danniang, why did you leave without saying anything?”
Mudan smiled, “You seemed busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I asked Steward Wu to convey my thanks.”
Whether it was his imagination or not, Jiang Changyang felt Mudan’s words sounded off, and her smile seemed different. But he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. Feeling a bit lost, he looked at her, “Let me escort you back.”
Mudan replied, “No need. It’s still early, and Fang Garden isn’t far. The local farmers all know us; it’s very safe. You have guests at your estate; it wouldn’t be right to leave them. You should hurry back.”
Jiang Changyang sensed Mudan’s displeasure and frowned at her, saying directly, “I heard from Wu San that Liu Chang’s servant did something improper?”
Mudan smiled faintly, “He was a bit rude, so Feng Daniang threw him into your river. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” Jiang Changyang shook his head. “Will you come over tomorrow? You won’t see anyone you don’t want to see tomorrow.”
Mudan smiled, “I’ll be very busy for the next few days. The project is urgent, and there’s much to do. Also, I need to send some clever servants to Master Li to learn from him.” At this, she sincerely thanked him, “Master Li is excellent, just the kind of person I was looking for. Thank you.”
The more she thanked him, the more strained Jiang Changyang’s smile became. After a moment of silence, he insisted stubbornly, “I’ll escort you back.”
Mudan looked at his expression and didn’t object, turning her horse to continue slowly forward.
The journey was short, yet it seemed long because they couldn’t find anything to say, only silence. One didn’t want to speak, while the other wanted to but didn’t know how.
As Fang Garden’s gate came into view, Mudan turned to Jiang Changyang with a smile, “You should head back now. I’m safe here. You have guests to entertain, so I won’t invite you in.”
Jiang Changyang nodded, staring into her eyes and asking in a deep voice, “Danniang, are we still friends?”
Mudan widened her eyes, their black and white clearly defined, with a hint of surprise and innocence, “Of course we are. Why do you ask?”
Seeing her expression, Jiang Changyang felt disappointed. She wasn’t going to tell him about today’s events. Although he could find out through other channels, he had hoped she would tell him herself, but that wasn’t going to happen. Everything seemed to have returned to square one. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t care at all about what Liu Chang had said; he had his own eyes and ears. But their relationship wasn’t at that level yet. Just like today, he wanted to express his concern and goodwill, but could only do so within appropriate boundaries. So now he could only laugh dryly with a hint of dejection, “That’s good. You go on in.”
“Be careful on your way back,” Mudan smiled and waved at him, then spurred her horse towards Fang Garden. Feng Daniang and Shu’er followed closely behind, quickly disappearing behind the willow-surrounded walls of Fang Garden.
Jiang Changyang turned his horse around and headed back. He encountered several farmers on the way, all greeting him. He returned their greetings absent-mindedly, gazing at the whitening road ahead. As the sky grew dimmer, two small black dots appeared in the distance, gradually growing larger. He recognized them as Liu Chang and his servant.
Liu Chang stared fixedly at Jiang Changyang before him. Jiang Changyang sat straight-backed on his tall, handsome purple horse, one hand on the reins, the other holding the riding crop in a practiced, seemingly casual but secure grip. His gaze bore into Liu Chang, their eyes meeting in midair. With no women or mutual friends present, neither man intended to back down.
They stared at each other for quite some time, neither blinking. Liu Chang felt his eyes growing sore, his eyelids twitching, feeling as if they might close at any moment. He told himself he couldn’t lose; his eyes might be sore, but so must Jiang Changyang’s. He forced his eyes wide open, glaring fiercely at Jiang Changyang.
Jiang Changyang didn’t intentionally make his gaze more fierce, nor did he strain to keep his eyes open. He simply looked at Liu Chang in silence. Liu Chang was dressed as elaborately and exquisitely as ever, on a fine horse with a brocade saddle, emanating fragrance within a twenty-pace radius, accompanied by his cunning and cowardly servant. He was no different from any other son of a powerful family in the capital, except for one thing: he was Mudan’s former husband, a vicious man who had publicly humiliated his wife, driven her to desperation, and then pestered her incessantly. He was childish and ridiculous, pathetic and selfish, unworthy of Mudan. Apart from being a “lucky” husband, he was utterly useless. Jiang Changyang concluded his assessment of Liu Chang.
Qiushi shrank cautiously to one side, his nose itching. He wanted to sneeze but didn’t dare. After holding back several times, he finally couldn’t resist and let out a loud sneeze.
The sneeze came so suddenly and loudly that Liu Chang’s straining eyelids jerked in surprise, and he could no longer hold them open. He blinked first. Liu Chang neurotically caught a fleeting hint of amusement in Jiang Changyang’s dark eyes, which infuriated him. It was all Qiushi’s fault. He barely restrained himself from lashing out at Qiushi with his whip, instead quickly plastering on a smile to cover his embarrassment. “Brother Chengfeng, where are you coming from?”
Jiang Changyang gave a faint smile, “Where is Brother Zishu heading?”
No longer Jiang Changyang’s guest, and without Pan Rong caught in the middle, Liu Chang felt he could do as he pleased. He thought his smile became more natural, “Just taking a stroll.”
Jiang Changyang replied, “I’m just taking a stroll as well.”
He went after Miss He Mudan, Liu Chang thought resentfully and indignantly, glancing in the direction Jiang Changyang had come from. He took the initiative to invite him, “Since we’re both just strolling, it would be lonely to walk alone. Why don’t we go together?”
Jiang Changyang nodded, “I was thinking the same thing.”
They rode side by side along the dirt road, their horses’ hooves making a slightly muffled “clop-clop” sound on the hard-packed earth. Whether intentional or not, both men sat straighter in their saddles than usual.
Liu Chang angrily realized that he seemed neither as tall nor as broad as Jiang Changyang… But what good is being tall and strong for a brute who only knows how to ride horses and kill people? Even oxen are stronger. It’s mastery of the six arts that’s truly praiseworthy. Liu Chang cursed silently, then tried to find some psychological balance. He habitually put on a smile and said, “I met with Duke Zhu recently. The old man asked about you, Brother Chengfeng. He’s very concerned about you.”
Jiang Changyang merely gave a faint “Oh” in response, saying nothing more.
Liu Chang continued, “Your younger brother, Erlang, also drank with us. His literary talent is quite good, and he’s quite spirited and loyal, truly taking after his father and elder brother.”
Jiang Changyang simply grunted in acknowledgment.
Liu Chang, neither rushed nor annoyed, smiled even more brightly, “I’ve heard some news. I should congratulate you here, Brother Chengfeng.”
Jiang Changyang finally said a few more words, “What’s there to congratulate?”
Liu Chang turned to look at him, smiling, “I heard that Duke Zhu has submitted a memorial to the Emperor, requesting to name you as his heir apparent, to inherit his title after he passes away. He’s also requested a daughter from a noble family to be your wife. Isn’t this great news? A double blessing, indeed.”
Jiang Changyang now understood what Qiushi must have said to Mudan. He turned to Liu Chang and said seriously, “Magistrate Liu, you certainly have a lot of inside information. Where did this news come from? How reliable is it?”
Liu Chang’s smile faded, “Doesn’t Brother Jiang know about this? I just wanted to kindly remind you that a man’s prospects should be cherished. Don’t ruin your future.”
Jiang Changyang was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, “My future doesn’t need Magistrate Liu’s concern. You’d better worry about your future. Do you have anything else to say?”
Liu Chang certainly did. “I’ve heard you’re a loyal and righteous person. Although Danniang and I are now divorced, I still hope she can live peacefully for the rest of her life. She’s a proud and dignified person who can’t bear to be wronged…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Changyang cut him off with a shout, his whip pointing at Liu Chang’s face: “Stay away from her! If you’re still a man, stay away from her!”