The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 16

The Conspiracy in the Side Room

“What does ‘brotherly affection’ even mean? You actually sent people to fetch him back! Why didn’t you just find a way to have him die on the road?”

Inside a side room, Yan Qu paced back and forth, pointing a trembling finger at Yan Hua while cursing, “Fool! You are a fool born from the very heavens!”

“Big Brother, you make it sound so easy,” Yan Hua muttered, hiding her face behind a round silk fan. “No matter how much Yan Jin was disliked by our Second Brother, he is still the only child Second Brother left behind. How could I possibly bring myself to strike him down?”

“You still dare to talk back!” Yan Qu slammed his hand on the table in a rage. “Then tell me, what should we do now? Even if you didn’t kill him, how did that thing end up in his hands?”

Yan Hua shrank her neck in fear, but realizing what was at stake, she argued back, “The mission to send people to snatch the Marquis Estate’s medallion was Third Brother’s responsibility. I knew nothing about it. Go ask him! If Yan Jin comes asking, it has nothing to do with me. If he wants to blame someone, don’t involve me in your mess.”

“You scoundrel! You think you can escape? Do you think the Marquis of Dingyuan is an easy man to deal with? He is a powerful official whom even the Emperor fears!”

Yan Qu was so incensed he became dizzy. His son rushed forward to support him and helped him sit down. “Father, in my opinion, this isn’t a major disaster. We haven’t actually done anything to Yan Jin. He isn’t a fool; if Father gives him a way out, this matter will be settled.”

“But those lands…”

“We shall retreat for now. It won’t be too late to plot again after some time has passed. Yan Jin is currently isolated and without help. Once his momentum fades, we will take everything in one fell swoop.”

Yan Qu calmed down and exchanged a look with Yan Hua. Just as they were about to finalize their plan, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Moments later, dozens of tall, imposing thugs surrounded the side room so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

The Arrival of Zhou Qingheng

A servant nimbly brought over a chair, laid out a soft cushion, and lit a pipe of tobacco, waiting respectfully to the side. With a cold snort, the thugs parted ways. A man stood there with his hands behind his back. He was exceptionally tall and upright; though his features were not rugged, they possessed an elegant, scholarly refinement. Upon closer inspection, his eyes and brows were sixty percent similar to Yan Jin’s, though they held a terrifying, sharp coldness that Yan Jin lacked.

“Xiao Zhuzi, are those few really in there?”

“Yes. The maid at the door saw them. Yan Qu and the others went in and haven’t come out since.”

“Good!” The man took the pipe from Xiao Zhuzi, flicked his robes, and sat down on the chair with a domineering, “great general” posture. He scanned the side room and indeed saw three suspicious silhouettes peeking through the window.

Zhou Qingheng tapped the armrest of the chair with the mouthpiece of his pipe, leaned back boldly, and shouted, “I’m sitting right here today! I want to see who dares to give my nephew an attitude!”

“Tell that old undying Yan Qu to get out here!”

These words were even ruder than Yan Jin’s. He had insulted Yan Qu’s dignity in front of all the servants and thugs. He expected the face-loving old man to be provoked into coming out immediately, but the house remained silent.

“Yoho, quite the temperance,” Zhou Qingheng muttered. He turned to Xiao Zhuzi. “Go tell Young Master Jin he doesn’t need to come out. Let him rest well. With me here today, I’ll make sure those villains spit out every cent they’ve swallowed.”

Xiao Zhuzi hurried to obey, but as he turned, he nearly collided with someone. In his frantic attempt to dodge, before he could even move his feet, he was hoisted up like a little chick and set aside.

“Sister Wuxue!” Xiao Zhuzi cried out in delight. Then, seeing the person walking gracefully behind Wuxue, he grew even happier. “Young Master Yan Jin!”

Yan Jin surveyed the three layers of thugs and said helplessly, “Uncle, I can handle this myself. There’s no need for such a grand display.”

“Nonsense. When it comes to supporting you, no amount of people is too many.” Zhou Qingheng had another chair brought over and pulled Yan Jin down to sit. “I wanted you to rest, but since you’re here, just sit and watch the show.”

Yan Jin asked, “What are you planning to do?”

“Nothing much. Just inviting that old boy Yan Qu out.” Zhou Qingheng winked mysteriously. He turned and waved his arm, ordering men to bring out a large wicker tray filled with wormwood and Sichuan peppercorn leaves.

“Burn them against the cracks of the doors and windows! Take those large fans and blow the smoke inside! Use your strength! Don’t let the smoke drift toward Young Master Jin. If you do a good job, you won’t have to pull night shifts for a month, and you’ll be heavily rewarded!”

No night shifts? That was a godsend. With that free time, they could relax and enjoy themselves. Consequently, whether they had fans or not, every man swung his arms with all his might to fan the smoke. Soon, thick smoke billowed into the room, followed by the sounds of one cough after another.

Zhou Qingheng acted as if he heard nothing. Instead, upon hearing that Yan Jin hadn’t eaten all day, he hurriedly ordered a plate of pastries and a pot of fine tea, personally tending to Yan Jin’s needs.

Outside, the atmosphere was peaceful; inside, it was utter chaos.

Within moments, the door was yanked open from the inside, slamming against the wall with a loud thwack.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Yan Qu, who had been shielded in the center by his son, pushed the boy aside in a rage. He poked his head out and cursed, “Zhou Qingheng! Stop this instant! This is the Yan residence; you have no right to behave so wildly here!”

Zhou Qingheng ignored him, focusing on feeding Yan Jin. “This tea smells a bit bitter. Are you used to it? Or should I send someone to buy some sugar water?”

Seeing that their master hadn’t signaled to stop, the thugs shoved the burning peppercorn leaves right in front of the group’s faces.

Yan Qu’s eyes bulged with rage. “Yan Jin, you unfilial son! How dare you let an outsider come and cause a riot in the Yan family!”

“Tsk, watch your mouth.”

Zhou Qingheng didn’t even look up. “The current head of the Yan family is Yan Jin. Whoever he says is an outsider is the outsider. What are you screaming for?” He draped an arm around Yan Jin’s shoulder. “Come, my dear nephew, tell him who the outsider is.”

Yan Jin complied: “He is.”

This response made Zhou Qingheng roar with laughter, and he even found the Yan family members slightly more tolerable to look at. He raised a hand to have the braziers removed but still forbade anyone from leaving.

Yan Qu asked urgently, “What exactly do you want!”

“It’s simple.” Zhou Qingheng dusted off his sleeves. “I didn’t come for anything else. I have only one requirement.”

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold tone. “The shops on Guandong Street and Shili Street, the established trade routes, and those few hundred acres of land in the west of the city those were all part of my elder sister’s dowry when she married into the Yan family. Later, my worthless brother-in-law handed them over to you to manage. Now, give every single one of them back to me.”

Yan Qu’s face froze. He wheezed heavily, unable to speak for a long time. Everything Zhou Qingheng mentioned was the most profitable asset in his possession; naturally, he was unwilling to return them.

Seeing that the old man was about to faint from anger, Yan Hua rushed forward. “Brother Zhou, by seniority, I should call you ‘Older Brother.’ It’s just that Second Sister-in-law’s dowry was merged into the Yan family assets when she married my second brother, as a testament to their deep affection.”

“Now, though they have passed away, they were never divorced. This dowry should rightfully remain Yan family property.”

As soon as these words were uttered, the expressions of everyone in the courtyard turned strange.

Zhou Qingheng acted as if he hadn’t heard her clearly. He picked at his ear and said to Yan Jin, “Seeing is believing. I have finally witnessed someone truly shameless.”

Yan Hua tried to say more, but Zhou Qingheng cut her off. “Enough. I expected you wouldn’t let go. I won’t waste words with you.”

“Xiao Zhuzi.” He clapped his hands. The crowd of thugs suddenly retreated in succession. Just as Yan Qu and the others were looking on in suspicion, earth-shattering cries and pleas for mercy suddenly echoed from outside the residence.

Those were the distant relatives and side branches waiting outside the gates.

Following the cries, the main gates were thrown open. The Yan residence maids and servants ducked with their heads in their hands as rows of government soldiers filed in, guarding every exit.

Yan Qu panicked. “Zhou Qingheng, you dared to call the authorities!”

“What a joke. Should I have had a big brawl with you instead? When faced with a problem you can’t solve, find the government even a three-year-old knows that,” Zhou Qingheng replied.

“Property obtained from a wife’s family is not subject to division. Officer, you heard clearly just now. These two, and those people outside, are all occupying my sister’s dowry. This is ‘theft among relatives.’ The deeds to the shops and lands are in their hands; the evidence is irrefutable. They even attempted to conspire to bully an orphaned junior. They are heartless and unjust.” He cupped his hands in a respectful salute. “I ask the Officer to grant justice to my sister and my nephew.”

The leading soldier looked at Zhou Qingheng, then at the pale Yan Qu and Yan Hua, hesitating. Both families were “local snakes” of Yangzhou; now that they were fighting, he didn’t want to offend either side.

Zhou Qingheng smiled knowingly and suddenly reached out his hand toward Yan Jin. “Give me the sachet.”

He pulled a medallion from the sachet and showed it to the soldier, shielding it from general view. “This matter is settled. If you don’t make the arrest, someone will be sent from above by tomorrow at the latest. There is no need for hesitation.”

The soldier was greatly shocked. This time, his gaze toward Yan Jin held a hint of awe. Ignoring the shouts of Yan Qu and the others, he had them gagged and hauled them, along with the people outside, back to the magistrate’s office.

The Lingering Scent of Crabapple

Once they left, the courtyard suddenly became quiet.

Yan Jin and Zhou Qingheng looked at each other for a moment and then both burst into laughter.

“You brat, you didn’t even notify me when you came home. It’s lucky I was keeping a constant eye on those uncles of yours, allowing me to arrive in time.” Zhou Qingheng flopped back into the chair, crossing his legs as he poured himself a cup of tea. He smacked his lips, feeling that the victory was missing a bit of flair.

Yan Jin smiled. “Thank you for your hard work, Uncle.”

“Whatever. Messing with them counts as my gain. I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

Zhou Qingheng finally looked at Yan Jin carefully. Seeing that though his face was pale, his spirits were alright, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Allowing you to go north back then was the right choice.”

At this, he leaned forward curiously. “Do you really know the Marquis of Dingyuan? When the news came back, it gave me a huge fright. Who else have you met over these years?”

Yan Jin didn’t answer. Having played along with this performance, he was quite tired.

He drifted into a daze until his fingertips subconsciously brushed the red string on his wrist. Suddenly remembering something, he turned and headed back.

“Hey, where are you going? Aren’t you coming with me to watch the interrogation of Yan Qu?”

“Uncle should go alone. They’ll be released anyway once they return the lands and shops.” Yan Jin looked back. “I have important business. Please make yourself at home, Uncle.” Without even taking Wuxue, he went straight back to his own courtyard.

He fetched brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, leaning over the desk to write something seriously. Reaching a certain point, he grew frustrated, crumpled the paper into a ball, tossed it aside, and started on a fresh sheet.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was surrounded by crumpled paper balls.

When no one was around, the System transformed into a blue ball of light and perched on Yan Jin’s head. Ever since Yan Jin had fainted twice from extreme emotional distress, the System had exhausted its accumulated energy to save his life and had been in standby mode. It had just woken up.

“What are you doing?”

Yan Jin said, “Writing a letter.” As soon as he set the brush down, his brow furrowed again, and he threw the paper away.

The System flew to catch it, circled behind Yan Jin, and smoothed out the paper. Only two words were written on it: Su Huai.

She then opened every single paper ball on the floor one by one and lined them up. Every single one had the name “Su Huai” written on it.

The System gasped, staring at Yan Jin as an unbelievable thought emerged.

It was one thing for her to “ship” them as a fan, but she never thought it would actually happen. Did this person even know what he was doing?

Thinking back, in his past life, Yan Jin had lived in a hospital. Even though she had cured him, his long-term habit of being a loner meant he had never had contact with the opposite sex. In this life, he had endless worries and had never even considered falling in love.

Does this poor child even know what love is?

The more the System thought about it, the more heartbroken she felt, deeply believing it was her duty to provide emotional guidance to Yan Jin.

“Yan Jin,” the System said cautiously, “I want to ask you a question. Is there someone you like?”

Yan Jin’s brush paused. He gave her a strange look. “I am occupied with a myriad of daily affairs; where would I have the time to like someone? I shouldn’t burden some poor girl.”

A girl…

The System’s expression became complicated. She circled the room several times, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, “Then are you… writing a love letter?”

Yan Jin’s look became even stranger. “Did your hibernation period install a ‘Romance System’ into you? I’m writing to Su Huai. Leaving without saying goodbye this time will surely make him unhappy again. Although I can’t go back, I can at least send a letter to appease him.”

The System hesitated, finally saying dryly, “Oh.”

Then she watched as Yan Jin finished the letter, set down his brush, and went into the courtyard to pluck a prime crabapple flower. He carefully pressed it inside the letter, leaving a circular, crimson floral imprint where he had signed his name.

A breeze drifted through the hall, carrying one or two petals that landed in Yan Jin’s hair. He plucked the petal, rubbed it gently between his fingers, and reached out, intending to let it fly away with the wind.

Unexpectedly, the hand supporting himself on the desk slipped, opening a drawer beneath. He looked down and froze for a moment. Inside, there was actually a letter.

He immediately had a suspicion about who the author was. Feeling a sense of disbelief, his fingers trembled slightly; it took him two tries before he could pull the letter out.

At the very top of the letter, four words were written:

“To my son, Yan Jin.”