A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 14

The twilight deepened, and a thin mist began to rise as night fell.

Chen Liangyu ordered two more lamps to be lit. The lamplight revealed the rough outline of a bow on the wall. Although it was called a study, it contained barely a dozen military books, and racks for bows and crossbows were displayed everywhere.

As the curfew hour arrived, the main streets and side alleys of Shangyong fell silent. The sounds of people only faded into the front courtyard of the Marquis Xuanping Estate, and before long, the backyard also grew busy.

The commotion reached the Liangyuan study. Chen Liangyu bowed to Xie Wenjun, excusing herself, and left to investigate.

The closer she got to the front courtyard, the louder the noise became.

A closer look revealed a crowd of gentry dressed in fine silks gathered on the wide bluestone path in front of the main hall. They looked somewhat familiar, yet she didn’t recognize them. Upon closer inspection, the two stout, corpulent men at the head of the group actually bore a resemblance to Chen Yuanqing.

A middle-aged man, whose robe was embroidered with gold thread and who wore a silver waist ornament, was bowing deeply, speaking intimately to Chen Yuanqing, his wife Lady He, and Chen Linjun, calling them “Elder Brother,” “Elder Sister-in-Law,” and “Virtuous Nephew” with great affection.

Chen Liangyu immediately realized who this group was.

She figured they must be her clan relatives, the uncles and elders who had been banished to Cangnan Commandery and with whom contact had been severed for more than ten years.

There was a massive crowd of them, both old and young.

She had no desire to be dragged over, patted, and felt up by a bunch of strangers, only to put on a fake smile and exchange pleasantries. Unable to stand it for a moment longer, and taking advantage of the covering mist before anyone noticed her, she quietly started to retreat.

In the center of the crowd, a simply dressed elder sat composedly. Though old, his eyes were sharp. In a smoky voice, he called out to her, “Is that Liangyu?”

The focus of the crowd suddenly shifted. The clamor subsided for a moment, and several women in bright, flowery clothes twisted their hips and scurried over with forced smiles, offering a few words of flattery.

The two middle-aged men also surrounded her and even had people bring up several brocade boxes. Just by looking at the boxes, one knew the contents must be valuable.

The man in the gold robe and silver sash said, “I heard the Virtuous Niece is about to become the principal consort of the Eastern Palace. I instructed your aunts to prepare a set of headdresses. It is but a small gift; I hope the Virtuous Niece will not dislike it or refuse it.”

The box opened, and the gold light within was dazzling. It was a crown of pure gold inlaid with pearls, patterned with a phoenix, and set with no less than a hundred red and blue gemstones. It was incomparably lavish. There were also pearl and jade pendants and earrings, all of the finest quality.

Chen Yuanqing’s face changed drastically. He angrily raised his hand and knocked the phoenix coronet to the ground. The crown fell with a clang, leaving a mark on the bluestone pavement. He suddenly roared, “My daughter’s marriage is unsettled! Do not speak wildly! What is your intention in privately casting a phoenix coronet?”

The man was so shocked that his hand trembled. “Yes, yes, yes, unsettled, unsettled. The imperial decree hasn’t been issued yet!” He then immediately knelt down and burst into tears. “Please, Elder Brother, Virtuous Niece, save us!”

Chen Linjun pulled her aside and shielded her. “Uncle, my younger sister is a woman; how would she understand affairs of the court? No matter how urgent the matter is, please stand up and discuss it with Father in the main hall first.”

With gentle persuasion, he finally helped the man to his feet.

Chen Liangyu struggled to break free from the women surrounding her and stood beside Chen Linjun.

The plain-clothed elder was also annoyed by the crown and opened his mouth to curse, “Why did you bring that useless thing? You worthless scoundrel who only ruins things!” He then spoke kindly to Chen Yuanqing, “Chongming, the Chen family has wronged your branch. It was this old man who made the decision to expel you and Yunzhou back then. I have come to your door today and am willing to be dealt with as you see fit! But the people in the Cangnan Chen family mansion, including in-laws and associated families, number three or four thousand. You cannot sit idly by! They are all connected to you by blood, they are your kin, your nephews and nieces!”

Chen Liangyu asked her older brother, “Are they related by marriage? Isn’t Father the only son of our grandfather?”

Chen Linjun replied, “What kind of kinship are you thinking of? They are cousins.”

Chen Liangyu leaned against the porch pillar and said, “The Crown Prince is pushing a new tax system, which grants a three-year tax reduction to the populace to allow them to recuperate after the war. However, the national treasury is weak and in a dilemma. Targeting Cangnan to fill the empty accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and to offset the silver tax cuts for the next three years—it shouldn’t be a problem just to give up gold and silver. Is it possible that even now they are still unwilling to part with their gold and precious belongings?”

Her voice was not loud, but the quick-eared fat gentry heard it. As if grasping a life-saving straw, he quickly said, “We brought them, we brought them. Gold and silver ingots, banknotes, silk, tea leaves, jewels, agate, and animal hides—a total of twenty carts. Fifty or sixty boats traveling by water have also entered the port and will arrive in three to five days.” He then started weeping again. “Elder Brother, Elder Sister-in-Law, all our family properties have been sold. We are willing to hand over all the family wealth accumulated over these years to the national treasury to relieve the nation’s emergency. We only ask Elder Brother to save the descendants of the Chen family!”

Chen Yuanqing heard the fat gentry say the amount of wealth they brought was so vast it could balance the national accounts. His worried expression did not fade but deepened instead. His lips trembled, and he said, “You… you moved to Cangnan and yet did not live a proper life. How much of the people’s wealth did you scrape together to amass such a huge fortune? I assume you’ve stripped the grass from the fields and dug up the stones from the mountains of Cangnan, haven’t you?”

The brother and sister on the porch were also greatly astonished.

Twenty cartloads and fifty or sixty boatloads of family assets—a single family’s wealth could fill the deficit of the Lin Dynasty for several years. What kind of immense wealth was this?

They were not just gentry; they should be called wealthy magnates and powerful landowners!

Chen Liangyu faintly felt that something was not quite right; it seemed to have exceeded the scope of “money.”

The Crown Prince’s real target was the Yao family of Cangnan—the family of Consort De and Minister of Works Yao Chongshan. Why would the Chen family have to sell off all their assets and still barely manage to save their younger clan members? And why would the clan elder, despite his advanced age, swallow his pride, personally lead the clan members across mountains and rivers, and come to Shangyong to beg for help from the kinsman he had expelled from the family?

The words of this group also carried an intention to bind and entangle, trying to firmly tie the rise and fall of the Cangnan Chen clan to the Marquis Xuanping Estate of Shangyong. Chen Liangyu harshly retorted, “My parents have been stationed in the northern border for all these years and have had no contact with you all. Since we were struck off the family register and separated from the main family, Father cannot afford to be associated with your ‘our family,’ Uncle-Grandfather!”

At this speech, everyone was speechless. They all stopped weeping and pleading, looking at each other in dismay.

The clan elder who first saw Chen Liangyu said to Chen Yuanqing, “Chongming, when elders discuss matters, female family members should listen quietly. How can she be so ill-mannered? Tell her to withdraw.”

His tone was clearly one of command.

Chen Linjun’s face was also extremely taut, but he could not flare up.

He was the face of the Marquis Estate, the legitimate eldest son who would inherit the title in the future. His words and actions reflected Chen Yuanqing’s and the Marquis Xuanping Estate’s character and conduct, and he prioritized maintaining courtesy and harmony in public settings.

Nevertheless, he shot a look at his sister: Younger sister!

Chen Liangyu’s expression was indifferent, but her words were sharp as a knife cut. “I respect you as an elder, so I will not say anything more unpleasant. Look closely at where you are standing. This is Yongdu, this is the Marquis Xuanping Estate. You are a commoner. It is fine that you do not observe the grand rites when visiting a Marquis, but you still dare to act as a clan elder in my house, presuming on your seniority. The curfew has already begun in Shangyong tonight. Please leave early tomorrow morning. This Residence will not entertain you.”

The clan elder’s aged face turned pale then green. The men and women, old and young, in the courtyard were intimidated by her words and did not know what to do.

“I do not care what matters you have traveled so far to discuss with my parents, but please always remember that the Chen clan of Cangnan and the Chen clan of Marquis Xuanping in Shangyong are two different matters. If someone with malicious intent causes a huge disaster that cannot be fixed and then tries to cling to us to perish together, the Marquis Estate is not something anyone can manipulate.”

The two men in the lead were quick-witted and immediately realized they had provoked the host’s displeasure. They tried to mediate and persuade. “Virtuous Niece, don’t be angry. Uncle-Grandfather apologizes to you on behalf of the clan elder. Virtuous Niece, don’t be so quick to send us away.”

They dropped their faces and pleaded with Chen Linjun, “Virtuous Nephew Linjun, if it were only for ourselves, we wouldn’t have come. How could we have the nerve to beg for help again? But this is for your cousins, the young siblings of the clan. We truly cannot watch them suffer! Even if we have to give up all our wealth, we must find a way for them to survive!”

The mist was heavy and damp, making the wind cold and wet. The faces in the courtyard were hazy and indistinct.

Due to the cold wind and heavy dew, Chen Yuanqing’s cough began to flare up.

Chen Liangyu strode quickly to him to pat his back and help him catch his breath. “Father, it’s cold. Let’s go inside.”

After his cough subsided, Chen Yuanqing spoke calmly to the open courtyard. “My family does not have those rotten, stale rules. Whatever Linjun can do, listen to, and discuss, Liangyu can also do, listen to, and discuss.”

Everyone assented and followed Chen Yuanqing into the main hall like a flock of sheep returning to a pen.

The clan elder, leaning on his staff and supported by others, walked at the very end with a dark face, failing to receive the expected enthusiastic response. In a matter of life and death, no one cared about hierarchy or human relations, and the airs he put on were bought by no one.

Chen Liangyu did not follow them inside.

With such a large group of people speaking all at once, it was impossible to figure out what was happening. She remembered what Xie Wenjun had told her on the day of the thunderstorm.

“Since the Marquis Xuanping is no longer returning to the northern border, it’s best not to interfere in the affairs of the court.”

“I am not trying to intimidate the Marquis Xuanping for my Crown Prince Brother.”

The light in the Liangyuan study was brighter than elsewhere, hazy and misty in the rising fog, as if plated with a soft glow.

Xie Wenjun was still sitting at one side of the desk, engrossed in reading the book Chen Liangyu had helped her select from the library earlier in the evening.

Chen Liangyu pushed the door open. The elegant figure raised her long, thick eyelashes and glanced at her calmly. Before Chen Liangyu could speak, she asked, “Have people from Cangnan Commandery arrived?”

Chen Liangyu nodded. “Yes.”

Xie Wenjun put down the book and said earnestly, word by word, “I told you, it is best for the Marquis Xuanping not to interfere in the affairs of Cangnan.”

If they ignored it, they might still be able to protect themselves. Once involved, they would not only fail to save others but would instead drag the Marquis Estate into the mire.

“What is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince holding in his hand?” Chen Liangyu asked. “Let me rephrase the question: Besides money, what else does the Crown Prince want? Is it the Yao family, or the Marquis Estate, or the northern border? Or perhaps, all of them?”

“You cannot save them,” Xie Wenjun sighed softly. “I’m very sorry, I cannot disclose any information regarding your questions.”

“I did not intend to save them.”

The wind rose, squeezing through the cracks in the doors and windows and into the study. The candlelight leaped, flickering high and low.

A patch of dark shadow lay under the lamp.

The new tax law was being tested. Finding money was only a side effect. There were many who wished to obstruct the new tax law’s implementation. The new system could easily be strangled in its cradle and fail to be implemented without an iron fist to reform the old system.

The fair-skinned, jade-like girl sat composedly behind the desk, amidst the candlelight and shadows, without directly answering Chen Liangyu’s question. “The Yao family and the Chen clan in Cangnan are intertwined. Who is the main stem and who is the root? Can you tell clearly? The welfare of the people is of paramount importance; a few heads must be made an example of to warn the others.”

From these ambiguous words, Chen Liangyu clearly extracted the crux of the matter.

The Yao family and the Chen clan were like midges at dusk.

Outside Yongdu city, in the muddy wilderness, straw sandals trampled through ankle-deep accumulated snow. Shivering shadows walked slowly.

Clothed in rags, they staggered along, indifferent to their compatriots who had fallen dead along the way from the wind, snow, hunger, and cold.

They were emaciated, sickly-looking refugees.

Along with the twenty cartloads and fifty or sixty boatloads of gold and silver treasures, tens of thousands of refugees from Cangnan Commandery were also heading towards Shangyong.

“Now, you might as well consider how to prevent the Marquis Xuanping Estate from being implicated, or rather, how to use their lives for your own gain. If the blood they shed can pave your way, then their deaths will not have been in vain.”

In the alternating light and darkness, Xie Wenjun never changed her tone or her seated posture.

With the lives of thousands of people right before her eyes, the first thing she thought of was how to use those lives for some gain.

Chen Liangyu had known for a long time that she was not a kind-hearted, jade-faced Bodhisattva, but she was once again greatly shocked. Being inside the game, yet dispelling the clouds and fog, letting the masts and sculls be reduced to ashes, she stood unmoving.

Alas, the noble scholar disdains me like dust.

She was born into the imperial family; she was a natural-born ruler.