The last time she had met Zhang Run was at Chongyin Workshop, which had ended abruptly with Han Zhi’s sudden arrival. After that, Zhang Run completely vanished from sight. If Song Chuyi hadn’t continuously had people monitoring his movements, she would have almost thought Han Zhi had silenced him and he no longer existed in this world.
Zhang Run appeared as awkward as ever. Upon seeing Song Chuyi, he didn’t know what to say for a long time. After holding it in for quite a while, he finally managed to squeeze out a rather unnecessary sentence: “Last time I wasn’t careful enough in my actions and couldn’t help Sixth Miss. I’ve felt truly terrible about it.”
He needed Song Chuyi as his backer, especially after hearing Han Zhi and Wei Yanxi at home discuss how the Song family and the Cui clan had managed to escape unscathed from the Chen family’s schemes. This strengthened his resolve to hold tightly onto Song Chuyi.
This young lady who appeared a head shorter than him was actually countless levels above him—at least this ability to manipulate situations was something he wouldn’t even dare imagine. Now he was still forced to dissemble before his enemy Han Zhi.
He wanted revenge, but relying on himself alone was absolutely insufficient. Even if he now lay prostrate at the gates of the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review, this matter could be silently suppressed. The Marquis of Jinxiang’s household could make him disappear without a trace with just a flick of their fingers.
Song Chuyi sat down in a chair. Even through the window, she could hear the young male role player’s melodious singing voice rising and falling from downstairs. Hearing Zhang Run say this, she turned her head to look at him and shook it: “Han Zhi is naturally suspicious—I’ve known this for a long time. That you could slip out from under his nose is already quite a remarkable feat. However, speaking of this, I do have something I want to ask you. Last time when he followed, was it because you left some trace, or was it truly just by chance?”
Zhang Run had pondered this question for a long time after returning. But after observing for so long, he truly hadn’t discovered any signs that Han Zhi had noticed his private dealings with Song Chuyi, so he firmly denied it: “It should have been just that when he returned and found me absent, the servants couldn’t give him a proper answer when questioned. Then when he came to Chongyin Workshop and happened to hear that you were there, Sixth Miss, he became suspicious. After I returned, I carefully observed for a period, and he shouldn’t have discovered the connection between me and Sixth Miss.”
No wonder Zhang Run had recently seemed to vanish like mist—it appeared that years of interaction had given him a deep understanding of Han Zhi’s temperament and taught him to keep his tail between his legs. Song Chuyi nodded thoughtfully and asked him: “Were you so urgent to find me because something has happened?”
“I still remember that Sixth Miss once told me that if anyone came from Xibei or Yangzhou to see him, I should come notify you.” Seeing Song Chuyi’s suddenly sharp gaze, Zhang Run’s heart skipped a beat. He paused before daring to continue: “Recently, someone did indeed come from Xibei. It seems to be some trusted aide of Marquis Jinxiang, who came specifically to deliver account books and profit shares.”
After years of operations in Xibei, there was no way Han Zhengqing hadn’t gotten involved in anything dirty or foul—otherwise, where would all those fertile lands and grand mansions have come from? Relying on that bit of court salary and rewards? That probably wouldn’t even cover the cost of treating Han Zhi’s illness, let alone support the hundred-plus people in the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household and the entire Han clan. The clan head of the Han clan was none other than Han Zhengqing himself.
However, this time Elder Chen had stumbled before Earl Changning’s estate, taking a great fall, such that the ugly affairs in Xibei had all been exposed. Although there was Zhang Tianhe to serve as scapegoat and take all the responsibility upon himself, Cui Shaoting was now freed from constraints and would certainly monitor Xibei more strictly. Han Zhengqing probably didn’t dare keep the account books in Xibei and simply sent them back to the capital for Senior Lady Fan and the others to handle.
Her eyes suddenly lit up like lamps being ignited, sparkling as she looked at Zhang Run and asked: “Then does Young Master Zhang know what background this person who came to deliver the account books has, and where he is staying now?”
Han Zhi was hiding Zhang Run at the別estate in Tongzhou—he surely wouldn’t brazenly summon people to that manor. He must have found another proper place to settle this person, convenient for when Senior Lady Fan, Junior Lady Fan, and Prince Dongping needed to meet him, and where Zhang Run’s existence wouldn’t be discovered.
Unfortunately, Zhang Run lowered his head somewhat dejectedly. After a long while, he gave a somewhat self-mocking laugh: “To be honest with Sixth Miss, I only learned of this matter after this person had already left, from hearing Han Zhi talk with the trusted aides close to him. As for what exactly those account books contain and to whom they were handed over, I know nothing at all, let alone knowing where that person is now.”
With trouble in Xibei, at this critical juncture, if these account books were discovered by others, the Han family would be unable to escape disaster. Even Senior Lady Fan and the others would be implicated. Han Zhi being this cautious was only natural.
Song Chuyi was somewhat disappointed but not disheartened. After thinking for a moment, she asked Zhang Run: “Then do you know what Han Zhi has been busy with recently?”
That Zhang Tianhe would take on the blame and die so quickly must have been connected to Han Zhi—Sun Ergou and the others she had sent to follow Jia Yingxin and Xu Liang had all reported back that they had seen Guan Shan, who was by Han Zhi’s side, invite Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin to establishments to select courtesans. They had also gone to several gambling dens together in succession. When they lost, it was Guan Shan’s loss, but when they won, the winnings went to those two.
She couldn’t let the matter of Cui Shaoting being framed pass so easily, but shaking Elder Chen’s foundation was truly too difficult. He had the Eastern Palace and Fan Liangdi backing him, countless students below him, and before Emperor Jianzhang could be considered highly respected and virtuous. So she could only proceed slowly, learning from how Elder Chen dealt with the Cui family—spending three or four years or even longer to weave a net.
“This time I came out specifically to tell Sixth Miss some news.” Zhang Run’s face finally showed some smile, and his words came more naturally: “Han Zhi recently had just somewhat eased his relationship with His Highness the Prince and his aunt, but now they’ve probably had quite a bit of unpleasantness again. It seems to be because of Miss Han being enfeoffed as a princess and having to accompany the Ninth Princess in the marriage alliance. Han Zhi doesn’t want his younger sister to go, but the Eastern Palace refuses to help no matter what.”
Not to mention Han Zhi—even Song Chuyi had been surprised when she first learned of this matter. She didn’t understand why one of the two candidates for the marriage alliance would be Han Yueheng. This wasn’t some good fortune that countless families would try to avoid. Yet Han Yueheng, as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household and the niece of Fan Liangdi, had been pushed forward so easily. Did this mean that the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household—or rather, the relationship between Junior Lady Fan and Senior Lady Fan—wasn’t actually as intimate and unbreakable as it appeared on the surface?