Because everywhere was a vast expanse of white, the Academy students habitually began carving some strange patterns into ink-colored glass pieces, connecting them with string and hanging them on their faces. Like pandas, they wandered back and forth around the Academy. Looking at white snow for a long time would cause the eyes to become red and swollen—this wasn’t a secret to Academy students.
Yun Ye’s eyeglasses were made of crystal, with tortoiseshell-inlaid rims and silver ear hooks. The two round ink-colored lenses looked very simple. Xiao Wu’s were different. Clearly knowing that the best light-filtering eyeglasses were dark glasses, she insisted on wearing a pair of dark green ones. The pink eyeglass frames were made of gold. Yun Ye weighed them—very heavy. She didn’t even consider whether her nose could bear it or not.
All the snow in the Academy had been piled by the students onto the Dongyang River, so not much snow could be seen at the Academy. The houses here were all made of stone, so there was no damage. The only one suffering great loss was the maze forest. Huo Zhu had already stopped providing bee larvae to anyone. The entire maze forest was still covered strictly by white snow. Li Gang’s opinion was that even if the maze forest were completely destroyed, students would not be allowed to step foot in there.
“Master, Pang Yuhai is making arrangements, preparing to let Li Yifu walk into the trap himself. These next few days, he’ll probably make his move, because Li Yifu actually also has a pair of exquisite eyeglasses—the cost isn’t low.”
Ever since Xiao Wu began teaching at the Academy, she had treated her students as experimental subjects. The methods Pang Yuhai considered brilliant weren’t worth mentioning in Xiao Wu’s eyes. She also didn’t issue a warning to Li Yifu, just standing on the side watching the situation develop like this. In her view, this was extremely interesting. As for whether Li Yifu would fall into the trap, she didn’t care. Watching a conspiracy from beginning to end was far more important than Li Yifu’s personal fate.
“Heh heh, Master made preparations long ago. I aroused Li Yifu’s ambition. A person with ambition is in pain. He must understand how to refuse some temptations for the sake of ideals. If he has no way to refuse even this little temptation, it shows this person fundamentally has defects in his very bones and isn’t worth rescuing. Since Pang Yuhai has launched an attack toward Li Yifu’s weak point, let’s see how he responds. Good or bad, we won’t concern ourselves with him.”
Xiao Wu held her master’s arm and said with a delicate laugh: “You’ve been a spectator for a full four years. Could it be you still want to continue watching? Lu Dongzan’s sorrow was all caused single-handedly by you. I think that fellow has already noticed somewhat, right? After a long time, even the most thorough arrangements will develop loopholes. His first marriage proposal was ruined by you. His second marriage proposal was destroyed by Ma Zhou. The third marriage proposal—Old Master Wei Zheng spoke up, negating it with the reason that Tubo was wild by nature and difficult to tame, unsuitable for marrying down an imperial princess.”
“Lu Dongzan’s marriage proposal request couldn’t even pass through the Central Secretariat. Look how he still perseveres indomitably, preparing to facilitate the marriage alliance between the two families. What exactly is he plotting? A perfectly good Tubo Great Minister—in his own country, he’s also a person whose word carries weight. Why must he come to Chang’an to suffer such endless humiliation?”
Yun Ye struggled free from Xiao Wu’s hand and said without good humor: “You’re a grown young lady now. Don’t act coquettishly like when you were small. What kind of propriety is this? How do you know Lu Dongzan is suffering humiliation? Perhaps people have fallen in love with Chang’an’s lifestyle and are unwilling to return to Tubo. Young lady, don’t concern yourself with so many miscellaneous matters. Help Xiao Jie prepare more for going beyond the frontier. Sir Li Gang can’t stand to see us master and disciples idle. He’s always worried I’ll become a turtle pulling its head in, so he’s pulled Xiao Jie out to be an example person for me.”
Xiao Wu raised her head to look at her master, saying with some sorrow: “My eldest sister married into the Helan family—an unaccomplished wastrel. These years, the money and wealth I sent back home have all been squandered by them sitting and eating away the mountain. Master, I very much don’t understand—why would my two older brothers drive my mother and younger sister out of the family gate? Why must they seize their last bit of property? The dignified wife of a duke has actually fallen to the point of washing clothes and cooking meals herself. Could it be that forcing them to such circumstances gives them great face?”
“Our household isn’t like this. Xiao Jie’s household also isn’t like this. Among the several families close to our household, the Qin family counts as the most snobbish, but even they haven’t done such shameless things. Why would the Wu family produce such disgraceful matters? I heard my older brothers even want to send my younger sister into the palace. Are these still siblings?”
Yun Ye raised his hand wanting to give Xiao Wu a slap. His hand was raised, but he sighed and put it down again. Finding a clean wooden chair to sit down, he said to Xiao Wu: “Wu Yuanqing is currently callus-shouldered and cocoon-footed in Nanzhao, opening mountain paths and paving roads for the great army. Wu Yuanshuang is said to be living worse than death in Jiannan as well. Writing a letter to Shishi would have been enough. How could you also write a letter to Xiao Hei, that chaos-world demon king? Shishi does things with great propriety and would also settle your mother and elder and younger sisters well. Xiao Hei handles matters very roughly. Those two as a couple have always doted on you—when they take action, where would there be light or heavy? The Wu family’s great mansion was made desolate with overgrown weeds by him. With Xiao Hei’s memorial of ‘the Wu clan’s sons are unfilial,’ your Wu family has no more chance of turning over. Your teacher even suspects that memorial Xiao Hei submitted was actually from your own hand. That stinking temperament of yours—you just don’t know how to change it. As long as you do something, you do it to the extreme all at once. You don’t even think about whether your father under the nine springs would close his eyes in peace. The wealth and honor the Wu family accumulated over several generations—you made it all disappear in an instant.”
Xiao Wu kicked a pebble flying with one foot, stamping her feet and saying: “Speaking of Father, you’re more qualified than he was. For that bit of wealth and honor, Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang actually dared to commit incestuous acts. My eldest sister marrying into the Helan family was harmed by their bestial behavior, making it so my sister had no way to marry into a good family. My mother’s temperament is weak—she actually concealed it from me for two years. If it were two years ago, I would have personally gone to Jiannan to grind their bones and scatter their ashes.”
Yun Ye was stunned. The wild histories said Xiao Wu was violated by her several older brothers—could it be true? Fortunately, when she was ten years old, he had brought her to the Yun family. Otherwise, the consequences would be hard to predict. Growing up in that kind of family with no one to rely on, only able to rely on one’s own efforts, climbing upward by any means necessary—under those circumstances, not developing an abnormal personality would be the strange thing. No wonder historically Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, upon learning Xiao Wu had gained power, were literally scared to death. Her three cousins were also changed to the surname Viper.
“Now it’s good. The bad people received punishment. Your mother and sisters have also been properly settled. You should now properly embroider your wedding dress. When Xiao Jie returns from the Western Regions, immediately get married and properly live your own life.”
The matter had already been done—there was nothing worth complaining about. If Yun Ye had known the Wu family brothers had truly committed bestial acts, his actions might have been even heavier.
“Master, my older sister is actually very beautiful. How about you take her as a concubine? That way I could often see Mother and elder and younger sisters.”
“Get lost! The Empress sent me four beauties, and I have no interest whatsoever. Not to mention your already-married older sister. This kind of thing like seizing another’s wife—do you think your master could do it?” Having said these words, Yun Ye was suddenly alarmed and looked at Xiao Wu, asking again:
“Your brother-in-law hasn’t already met his fate in the yellow springs, has he?”
Xiao Wu’s mouth twisted and she said: “He likes drinking—it could be called loving alcohol like life itself. As long as he’s poured some yellow soup, he beats my sister—beats her to death. Even if my sister isn’t a virgin, she’s more than good enough for him. Although Xiao Wu is angry, she wouldn’t kill him. You’ve taught Xiao Wu all these years—Xiao Wu doesn’t dare violate your teachings. Helan drank himself to death from alcohol. It has nothing to do with Xiao Wu.”
Yun Ye raised his head to look at the sky, not speaking. Previously, he had told Xiao Wu and Di Renjie about alcohol poisoning. When a person’s blood alcohol content reached zero point four percent, they would fall unconscious. If it reached point five percent, in this era without emergency rescue measures, death was certain.
Xiao Wu had no need to kill people. She only needed to send her older sister’s household the Yun family’s newly brewed high-concentration strong liquor. Helan, who loved alcohol like life itself, would definitely be overjoyed. He absolutely wouldn’t give up until he drank himself into a stupor. Sixty or seventy-proof strong liquor was absolutely a lethal weapon for alcoholics.
Every year in the Great Tang, there were people who died from drunkenness. In Chang’an, they depicted this manner of death as extremely elegant. Liu Ling of the Jin Dynasty had once instructed his old servant that as long as he went out, the servant should follow with a hoe. Once he died drunk, bury him on the spot—no need for coffins and grand burial. Generally, when attending this kind of funeral, guests and friends all wore smiles on their faces, forming an extremely sharp contrast with the family’s grief. This manner of death was greatly elegant—there was even envy.
Helan’s death must necessarily be like this. Even if the government examined the corpse, they couldn’t find any problems. Helan poured himself to death. With Xiao Wu’s cleverness, she could certainly handle it properly and neatly.
“After returning home, close your door to read and reflect on your mistakes. For three months, you may not step half a foot outside your room!” If Xiao Wu had made her older sister reconcile and divorce from Helan, Yun Ye wouldn’t say half a word. If they couldn’t continue living together, then divorce—this was very normal. Xiao Wu didn’t choose this path. Rather, she chose to directly kill off Helan. This trend couldn’t be allowed to grow. Confinement was necessary.
Xiao Wu looked at her master with a guilty conscience. Seeing her master’s stern face, she knew her master must necessarily know the full story. Not daring to plead, she could only curtsy in salute and comply with the order.
Seeing Xiao Wu’s obedient appearance, Yun Ye sighed and said: “Alas, in your chest hides a fierce tiger. Your master doesn’t dare easily release it. I only want you to peacefully and happily live out your life. Actually, among the three disciples, you and I are most alike. We both seem to lack any sense of right and wrong. What I now persist in are all things those elders instilled in me—there’s Old Cheng, Old Niu, Old Yan, Old Li Gang, and also Empress Dowager. So it’s extremely chaotic. Acting recklessly according to one’s own thoughts is inadvisable. Being cruel and merciless to enemies isn’t wrong, but when handling these family matters, you must pay attention to proper limits. Otherwise, people will believe you’re not only heartless but also cold-blooded. Once this kind of impression is planted, you’ll bear it for life. Your teacher only requires that before you kill someone, you must think three times. Don’t easily develop the intention to kill.”
Xiao Wu raised her pale little face. There was actually a smile in her eyes. In a low voice, she said: “Sometimes Xiao Wu can’t control herself. Please, Master, when Xiao Wu’s strength falls short, lend me a helping hand.”