A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 20.1

In the bright spring of the third month, with the Qingming Festival just past, the spring warmth had melted the chill of early spring, and fur coats were exchanged for lighter clothing.

The Lin Dynasty, having originated from nomadic tribes, placed great importance on hunting activities. Every spring and autumn, large-scale hunts were organized at the northern suburban royal stud farm.

Just after the beginning of spring, the branches were only just sprouting new buds, and the wind still carried a hint of coolness. Young noblemen, riding tall horses, naturally gathered to discuss the imperial examinations, official ranks, and beautiful noblewomen.

Zhang Jialing, who was at the center of the crowd, took the lead, steering the conversation to the alluring courtesans of Yongdu. As they chatted, the topic eventually shifted to daughters of high officials and imperial relatives.

“Chen Liangyu is not bad looking, but her temper isn’t great. Don’t let her quiet appearance fool you, she holds a grudge.”

One person chimed in, “I heard that Prime Minister Xun’s daughter is strictly raised, with excellent character and appearance—a virtuous and gentle darling.”

Someone with a bit more inside knowledge said, “Forget about Prime Minister Xun’s daughter. Xun Shuhang even had the time of her birth carefully calculated by a master. Madam Xun has kept her close since childhood, and her discipline is incredibly strict. She is now competing with Chen Liangyu for the Crown Princess position.”

Another person added, “The Noble Consort was a renowned scholar and beauty in Yongdu in her time. She only has Princess Jiangning. Seeing the Princess from afar today, she truly possesses the beauty to overthrow kingdoms.”

Zhang Jialing was noncommittal: “It’s not that she’s ugly, but the little Princess seems a bit gloomy.”

Someone else mentioned, “The second daughter of Governor Li of Yongan Prefecture, Li Yuqing, is also considered a graceful and cultured lady. She was originally arranging a marriage with the Minister of War’s family, but then Chen Liangyu publicly demanded in court that she become a concubine to Qiu Shiyan. The engagement was called off.”

“That serious?” Zhang Jialing pulled on his reins. “How infamous is this Qiu Shiyan that a pre-arranged marriage would be broken off just by being associated with him? The man is already dead; it shouldn’t matter now.”

On the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Qiu Shiyan was found gruesomely murdered in his room, his head severed by a single clean cut around the neck.

According to the servant boy who was with him, Qiu Shiyan had brought a young scholar back to his room that day. The servant, hearing no movement from the room for a long time, sensed something was wrong. When he pushed the door open and rushed in, he saw Qiu Shiyan lying in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body.

Coincidentally, the city’s curfew had been lifted that day. The city was chaotic and lively, and outside the city, a large number of Cangnan refugees had gathered. Everything was a mess. Neither the city guards nor the Yongan Prefecture had the manpower to investigate and pursue the killer, allowing the person to escape without a trace.

By the time the various government offices could spare manpower, all clues were lost.

Qiu Renshan himself was not clean and failed to escape the latest round of court purges. He was relocated to the provinces with his entire family, and the case became a cold one.

“The girl Qiu Shiyan assaulted was educated and could read and write, so her temperament was naturally fierce. She made a big fuss about the matter, attracting public attention to the case. Li Yilian openly shielded Qiu Shiyan and, along with Assistant Minister Qiu, coerced Assistant Magistrate Zhou into admitting in public that he had instigated his daughter to seduce Qiu Shiyan, intending to marry into the Qiu family. To appease the public, they claimed, ‘Our young son is inexperienced and simple-minded, and made a mistake due to temptation, but the Qiu family, setting aside past grievances, is willing to marry the girl.’ In a twist of events, they became the magnanimous ones. Such words might fool the gullible masses, but who in the court doesn’t know the truth? What respectable family would dare to marry into a family with such a reputation?”

“For a woman to have no talent is a virtue. It’s better for women not to study; otherwise, they wouldn’t cause such trouble.”

Zhang Jialing looked over his shoulder with his horse whip for the person who spoke. “Who is so backward and feudal?”

That sentence was like a small stone thrown into a vast, deep lake; hardly a ripple was made.

No one questioned it, and there was no controversy, as this had been the norm since ancient times.

Apart from Zhang Jialing’s slightly widened eyes, the others didn’t even turn their heads to look for the source of the remark. They were more interested in focusing the conversation back on Qiu Shiyan.

“Qiu Shiyan deserved what he got, but he was truly careless. If he had set his sights on that woman and merely put the word out, a minor family like the Zhous, being shallow-minded, would have eagerly sent their daughter to his door. Why bother? Now he’s infamous, and he’s also lost his life.”

In their sighs, everyone was reluctant to discuss him further, fearing they might attract bad luck. After a moment, someone joked, “I say, there’s no harm in Brother Jialing taking another wife. That second daughter of the Li family is better than many girls in the courtesan houses, isn’t she?”

Zhang Jialing felt a pang of unease. He knew deeply that in such an unenlightened feudal dynasty, comparing a well-bred official’s daughter to a courtesan was a tremendous insult. He was unwilling to take pleasure in insulting an innocent person. “It is already very rude of us to discuss a woman’s appearance behind her back. Please stop saying such things.”

Many of the young nobles present were from respected families and valued etiquette. They had been tolerating the tasteless jest and, hearing Zhang Jialing’s comment, were discreet. “Right, right, speak no evil. Let’s go check out that area and scout the terrain.”

A large group of them rode their horses together with laughter and excitement, galloping across the wide stud farm.

The journey from the palace to the hunting grounds took half a day. The various palace departments settled the accompanying imperial family and officials in the hunting lodge. The final check and preparation of the game on the field were underway, and everyone was moving about on their own.

Chen Liangyu found a slanted tree branch and hung upside down, her arms crossed over her chest. Her tied-up hair hung down, and her braid swung gently like a ponytail. She let her mind wander.

From a distance, she looked like a dried corpse hanging in a newly green forest.

Every event that happened since her return to Shangyong City flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern. The Cangnan refugee crisis was too tragic. She still felt lingering fear remembering the scene of evil spirits filling the streets that day. The common people, caught in the storm of court struggles, seemed so despairing, helpless, and insignificant.

Someone approached the tree, the hunting boots crunching on dry twigs with a “crack.”

Chen Liangyu opened her eyes, and the inverted figure of Xie Yuan came into view, looking up at her. He had no guards, and Yan Feng, who was practically inseparable from him, was also absent.

She flipped up, sitting upright, her legs swinging freely in the air. She gave a slight nod, a form of salute, “Your Highness, Prince Shen.”

That day, when the first snow fell, she stood in the cold wind, her nose tipped pink with the cold, and asked him, “Does Your Highness wish to be a wise and magnanimous sovereign?”

When she asked this, Xie Yuan stood not far away, gazing at her for a long time, without immediately answering her question.

When Ying Rui told her that Xie Yuan had broken up wood for kindling to provide warmth for the refugees, Chen Liangyu stood in the crowd for a long time, her thoughts turning a hundred times. She pursed her lips, realizing what Xie Yuan was intending to do.

To her question, Xie Yuan had already provided his answer.

Xie Yuan looked up at her, his eyes filled with a smile: “Why aren’t you over there practicing archery with them? Instead, you are hiding here to seek peace.”