A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 12

Chen Liangyu spent half a day draped across from the flower house, observing the charming courtesans whose soft, delicate hands waved countless silk handkerchiefs, utterly captivating.

She mimicked their actions, but her limbs, accustomed to holding spears and drawing bows, were not as flexible as the girls’, making her attempt look like a monkey snatching peaches.

She sighed, realizing she shouldn’t have mocked Dong Shi; even the “awkward imitation” was hard work.

Spotting the person she was looking for, she quickly descended and leaned against the stone lion at the alley entrance. She struck a pose and wiggled twice quite authentically, beckoning to the people on the street just like the girls in the flower house.

After catching the man’s eye, she flicked her handkerchief twice and quickly turned into the small alley. The sound of hurried footsteps followed close behind.

She twisted and turned, finally entering a narrow alley.

The owner of the footsteps followed right in; it was Qiu Shiyan.

Qiu Shiyan politely cupped his hand in a scholar’s salute and salivated, “Miss Chen.”

Chen Liangyu threw a flirtatious glance at him, adopting the awkward, self-conscious posture of a young maiden from her eyes to her limbs. Qiu Shiyan couldn’t resist such blatant seduction and was instantly overjoyed, moving to grab her.

Chen Liangyu seized the opportunity as he lunged, swinging her arm in a full circle and slapping him fiercely across the face, then following up with a kick. Her long arms and legs meant the kick landed squarely on his chest.

Qiu Shiyan slammed onto the ground like a pile of mud, half his face slowly puffing up as if inflated.

Chen Liangyu rotated her neck left and right, then shuffled over, secured one of Qiu Shiyan’s arms, and twisted it. The sound of bone snapping from the joint startled a flock of sparrows foraging for food. Still feeling unsatisfied, she added several heavy kicks, not paying much attention to which part of his body she hit.

Qiu Shiyan had initially panicked and tried to dodge, but after a few more kicks, he could only curl up, clutching his abdomen.

Right across from this narrow alley, in a private room on the second floor of the Yueyang Tower, Qiu Renshan watched the entire scene in terror. The wine cup in his hand was almost crushed, and amidst his shock, his heart pounded like a frightened rabbit as he cautiously observed Jing Ming’s expression.

“My unfilial son! How dare he! How dare he!”

The private room couldn’t hear the conversation below. Everything in the alley, seen by the two men at the window, was interpreted as Chen Liangyu, being followed by Qiu Shiyan, anxiously fleeing but accidentally entering the narrow alley. Qiu Shiyan then approached to harass her, Chen Liangyu desperately tried to dodge, and seeing she couldn’t escape, she resorted to self-defense.

Jing Ming immediately flared up, “Lord Qiu has quite the family custom! Your son dares to molest my young mistress in broad daylight! I think there’s no need to discuss the land reclamation matter; let’s call it quits right here.”

Qiu Renshan’s face turned pale. He swallowed his pride and repeatedly apologized.

The Crown Prince intended to reform the tax system and introduce new tax laws, which required a nationwide re-measurement of land. Families like theirs, who had “grey assets,” naturally used every means to seek connections and protection. He was delighted when Jing Ming sought him out. If he could align himself with the Marquis of Xuanping’s Mansion, or even just Chen Linjun behind Jing Ming, he wouldn’t have to be so frantic.

Jing Ming mentioned that his young mistress had given offense to the Minister that day in Yong’an Prefecture and asked him to be understanding. Qiu Renshan naturally understood the implication, knowing that Chen Liangyu wore the Marquis of Xuanping’s fish tally that day, which indicated she was a pampered daughter of the family, and with the Emperor’s calligraphy and official title bestowed upon her, she must have a tempestuous personality. Since she had intervened in the matter, causing her displeasure would likely lead to further troubles. It wasn’t worth making an enemy of the Marquis of Xuanping’s Mansion over a mere female relative. Therefore, Qiu Renshan immediately stated that he would properly settle Zhou Pei, sending her to a manor, a temple on the mountain, or letting her decide whether to stay or leave.

Having said this, Qiu Renshan wanted to probe for information. Chen Linjun was close to the Crown Prince, and perhaps he knew things others couldn’t grasp. Just as the main courses and fine wine were about to be served, he witnessed the earlier tailing incident through the window.

Chen Liangyu grabbed Qiu Shiyan by the collar and dragged him up from the ground, punching him fiercely in the face several times. Qiu Shiyan’s already irregular face became deformed from the blows. Clasping his lower abdomen, he curled up on the ground and vomited blood, which contained two tooth-shaped objects.

With the man pinned against the wall, Chen Liangyu stood tall and said, “This small punishment today is a lesson for you. If your hands and feet are dirty again, I guarantee I’ll make you die silently.”

Qiu Shiyan was sweating profusely from the pain, even in the dead of winter. Wiping the blood from his chin, he still talked tough, “You dare? My father is a third-rank court official. If you dare to kill me, my father will surely make you pay with your life.”

The sound of metal friction entered his ears. Qiu Shiyan looked up and saw Chen Liangyu holding a short knife, its sharp blade chillingly close to his throat in the blink of an eye.

“A joke,” she scoffed with disdain. “From the day I crawled out from the mountain of corpses at the bottom of Horse Hoof Valley, many of the world’s rules no longer apply to me. If my knife cuts your throat today, I’ll just get scolded and it’ll pass. At worst, I’ll take a few lashings and lose my official title and rank. So what? Even if I actually commit a capital crime someday, as long as the sword isn’t pointed at the Emperor’s neck, there will be Censorate officials and court officials who will petition the throne to spare my life in consideration of my past military merits. Even your old man, Qiu Renshan, I could kill if I choose. What does your rotten life count for?”

Qiu Shiyan spat out another mouthful of blood, which seeped into the remaining snow, staining a patch red. His body was completely limp, but his mouth remained stubborn: “Although your Chen family is powerful now, you won’t be arrogant for long. Don’t be too smug. This master is waiting for you to be sold as a government prostitute so I can come and cheer for you.”

Chen Liangyu twitched her finger slightly, and the blade instantly sliced through his skin, drawing a bead of blood.

In this instant, Qiu Shiyan’s pupils dilated.

Chen Liangyu said ominously, “Do you know how many people I had to kill to get out of the North and return to Shangyong alive? Do you know how many heads of flesh-and-blood mortals like you have been taken by this knife?”

Her appearance already carried a degree of cold aloofness, with a high nose bridge and upturned eyes. When expressionless, she looked extremely intimidating.

The swirling snow and the sharp blade in her hand subtly merged with her inherent presence, creating the image of a decisive female general.

A pampered scion protected by family power had never encountered a real knife-and-gun situation. Qiu Shiyan was utterly terrified.

Fearing that she might impulsively commit murder, Jing Ming quickly snatched the delicate cup from Qiu Renshan’s hand, gripping it with two fingers and sending it flying with his inner power.

The wine cup shattered against the wall, leaving a small crater. The two people below simultaneously looked up towards the window. Jing Ming had already quickly pulled the window shut.

Qiu Shiyan took advantage of Chen Liangyu’s momentary distraction to turn and run, stumbling out of the alley while clutching his broken arm.

Jing Ming had no intention of lingering. He grabbed the cloak draped over the rack, stomped his boots, and prepared to leave: “Lord Qiu, it’s best if you and I keep today’s matter a secret, pretending nothing happened. You must also silence your son. Lord Qiu knows that if this matter is publicized and damages my young mistress’s reputation, whether the Emperor and the Marquis will spare your son’s life is debatable.”

Qiu Renshan hesitated, “Lord Jing, then you…”

“Lord Qiu need not worry about my discretion. I care about my young mistress’s reputation and will not say a word to anyone outside.”

Qiu Renshan felt as if he had been granted a reprieve. He was immediately grateful: “Lord Jing is right. Thank you, Lord Jing, for your understanding of this old man. I will surely discipline this brat severely and confine him at home so he cannot go out again. Safe travels, Lord Jing. Lord Jing, about this land reclamation matter…”

Jing Ming opened the door and stepped out: “To be discussed later.”

Chen Liangyu sheathed her knife, inwardly blaming Jing Ming for throwing the cup. She knew her limits; how could she possibly commit murder right under the Emperor’s nose?

She had intended to administer a strong dose of fear to root out the lustful heart of that pampered youth. Now she wasn’t sure if the scare had been effective enough.

As Chen Liangyu walked back, she heard a burst of loud laughter above her head. She looked up, cursing her bad luck for running into trouble today.

The troublemaker and the meddler were both encountered on the same day.

Zhang Jialing peeked half his head over the low wall of a walkway on the second floor of a small house, accompanied by a beauty. “Chen Liangyu, why are you still fishing for trouble with entrapment?”

The bizarre story of Zhang Jialing crawling out of a coffin had long been incorporated into tales of ghosts and monsters, becoming a popular subject of conversation. Even though she wasn’t very interested, those absurd stories had inadvertently reached her ears. The Zhang family strictly enforced their family rules, forbidding concubinage before marriage. Yet, in the few days since waking up, he had simultaneously kept three beautiful mistresses outside. Zhang Diancheng was so angry he nearly passed away, telling everyone he’d rather have died.

Chen Liangyu looked down at the idler on the wall and asked, “When were you here?”

“I’ve been here the whole time, from when you did that that way.” He mimicked Chen Liangyu’s seductive posture of leaning against the stone lion and beckoning to Qiu Shiyan, swaying his body gracefully with hazy eyes, which was even more lifelike than the girls in the flower house. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!”

The veins on Chen Liangyu’s temples throbbed. She forced a twitch of a smile, which Zhang Jialing happened to catch.

“Hey, what kind of expression is that? You don’t think I’m the same kind of person as him, do you?” Zhang Jialing became anxious. “Chen Liangyu, stop, don’t leave! This must be made clear. I am not the same as him! Although I marry a lot, they all follow me willingly. I paid the betrothal gifts, I give them money and buy them houses. I don’t do things like forcibly abducting women. Don’t compare me to that kind of idiot, did you hear me, hey!”

Chen Liangyu waved her sleeve, not hearing a single word, and turned to meet Jing Ming, who had come looking for her.

Jing Ming was Chen Linjun’s deputy general, who followed Chen Linjun back to Yongdu twice a year to report on duty. He was a familiar face in the court and had some influence with officials both big and small.

She asked, “Jing Ming, how did it go?”

Jing Ming waved his hand, “Flawless.”

He was referring to the theatrical performance she had painstakingly learned.

Still holding the short knife, Chen Liangyu crossed her arms and walked parallel with Jing Ming. “Qiu Renshan entered the officialdom through the Six Boards and rose to the rank of third-rank minister. He should know that a splendid official career must be paved by cultivating oneself and managing one’s family. How did he raise such a disgraceful son who ruins the family name?”

Jing Ming was a little surprised. “You know about this?”

“I didn’t know originally, but isn’t there someone at home who does?” With Xie Wenjun, a strategist and advisor, living in the house, she did not hesitate to seek his advice. “The current Emperor highly values moral conduct and social norms. With Qiu Shiyan’s behavior, his father’s official career will likely end at the ministerial level. If Qiu Renshan doesn’t quickly lock him up and discipline that scoundrel, allowing his descendant to run rampant, in this vast world, someone will eventually act as the strict father on his behalf.” The short knife sheath spun in her palm, flicking down snow from the eaves. “When others strike, they won’t be gentle.”

The ‘others’ naturally referred to herself at the moment.

Jing Ming said, “I was worried you would genuinely take that scoundrel’s life and had already prepared how to explain it to the Young Marshal.”

Turning the corner of the alley, there was no longer collapsing and fragmented snow from the eaves. Chen Liangyu stomped her foot. “You must keep it a secret. If my elder brother finds out, he will inevitably make a mountain out of a molehill, causing unnecessary worry.”

Jing Ming nodded in agreement. Turning his head to look, his face instantly twisted as if he had eaten a bitter gourd. “I’m afraid it can’t be kept secret. The Young Marshal already knows.”

Chen Liangyu followed the reflection in Jing Ming’s eyes and saw Chen Linjun standing there with a stern face, his imposing figure blocking their path like a tiger.

Oh no! They were doomed.

Chen Linjun walked over, crunching through the snow. He was walking so fast that his boot toe kicked up a circle of white snow. “Jing Ming, go and receive twenty military lashes yourself.”

Jing Ming accepted silently, “Yes, Young Marshal.”

After announcing the punishment for Jing Ming, Chen Linjun turned his gaze to Chen Liangyu. “Back after abusing power? What did Uncle Yan teach you? Anyone who can strategize does not resort to force. Can force solve problems?”

Chen Liangyu stopped twirling the knife in her fingers and actively used the new vocabulary she had just learned, “Force may not solve problems, but force can solve the silly.”

Although the meaning of ancient and modern civilized words is not completely interconnected, there are always similarities. Chen Liangyu didn’t fully understand the true meaning of the phrase, but she could tell it wasn’t a good word and felt inexplicably suitable for Qiu Shiyan.

“…” Chen Linjun was stunned for a moment, as if a thunderbolt had struck over his head, and he stood dumbfounded. Snapping back to his senses, he was furious: “Where did you learn such vulgar language? Who are these unsavory people you’ve been associating with?”

Chen Liangyu pointed towards the wall behind her.

The ‘unsavory person’ was still peering out from the wall with a look of enjoying the spectacle.

Zhang Jialing, feeling Chen Linjun’s sharp gaze, instantly retracted his bared teeth. He gave Chen Linjun an awkward smile and quickly fled.

Chen Linjun did not want to say anything more. He said sternly, “Go home and kneel in the ancestral hall. No dinner. Also, you are not allowed to send medicine to Jing Ming.”

“Understood.”

Chen Liangyu and Jing Ming lowered their heads and hands, preparing to go and accept their respective punishments.

After walking about ten steps, Chen Liangyu noticed traces on the snow where Chen Linjun had been standing, looking as if someone had fallen and been dragged, exposing the bluestone ground. Following this was a series of messy footprints. She wondered which unlucky soul had slipped and fallen.

Unlucky people have their own ways of being unlucky, such as her and Jing Ming getting caught, or the anonymous person who fell in the snow.