Ah Da and the others had only recently discovered Qian Jiaoniang missing because she was sleeping and no one dared disturb her. They first noticed Shanzha was gone. Shanzha was supposed to keep Qian Jiaoniang company but had gone out about half an hour before. Suier, hearing Shanzha left, tried to find her but couldn’t. The guards at the gate said they saw Shanzha leave on Madam’s orders to buy things, carrying a big basket. Ah Da sensed something was wrong and had Suier check Qian Jiaoniang’s room. Suier found Shanzha still sound asleep in bed, but Qian Jiaoniang was nowhere to be found.
Ah Da was terrified, thinking someone had kidnapped Qian Jiaoniang, but after carefully checking everywhere, there was no sign of intrusion. Suier struggled to wake Shanzha, who was still confused and knew nothing about what happened. Ah Da then remembered Shanzha went out the gate to buy things and realized Qian Jiaoniang likely left the courtyard on her own.
At this moment, Xing Muzheng stood in Qian Jiaoniang’s room. The maidservants knelt trembling all over the floor, not daring to look at his face. Just kneeling, they felt waves of cold radiating from him. Xing Muzheng expressionless, smashed a wooden table beside him with one palm. The splintered wood scattered near several maids who dared not move or even breathe.
Ah Da, Li Qingquan, and the others were all terrified, their scalps tingling. They knew how much the General now valued Madam—like a treasure. He would rather offend the Imperial family to get the imperial edict. When had they ever seen the General so infatuated with a woman? But Madam was no ordinary woman. Even if wronged, now treated like this by the General, she should be grateful. Moreover, she was not indifferent to him; otherwise, why would she have taken care of the General who was afflicted with a poisonous curse? Why then, after all the hardships, did Madam abandon husband and child and run away?
Li Qingquan risked his life to step forward and say: “Master, judging by the hour, Madam should have already left the city. She likely wouldn’t head toward Yuzhou, but rather back the way we came. If we set out to pursue now, it’s still not too late. Only—Madam can ride, and I fear she might buy a horse somewhere. In that case, she’ll be much harder to track.”
Xing Muzheng stayed silent for a long while. Just when the men were growing increasingly uneasy, he finally spoke: “Go to the Baohua County yamen and tell the county magistrate I’m looking for someone! Have the constables lock the city gates—only allow entry, no one leaves! Wang Yong, go find out clearly from the north and south gates if a woman leading a horse left alone. Then take four brothers, split into two groups, and search in both directions! The rest of you, search the city for me!”
She couldn’t leave. If she left, what would become of him? After all his effort… he had to find her. Once he found her, he’d tie her up, lock her away, break her legs—see if she dared to run again! Dark thoughts surged uncontrollably in Xing Muzheng’s mind, wrapping tightly around his heart. Right now, he could think of nothing else but getting her back—back, his wife!
Ah Da hesitated. “Master, this subordinate thinks Madam has most likely already left the city. Why not send men out to search, instead of concentrating here in this small county town?”
“Why do you think Jiaoniang pretended to be sick here, and ran away here? There’s a reason.” Xing Muzheng’s fists cracked loudly. He suddenly turned toward Xing Pingchun. Xing Pingchun seemed stunned by this sudden development, standing motionless to the side—neither crying nor making a fuss about finding his mother. But when Xing Muzheng’s sharp gaze swept over, he trembled, lowered his head, and avoided his father’s eyes.
Xing Muzheng fixed his gaze on his son and said slowly: “Go to the yamen and get an artist. Post a notice.”
“Master,” Li Qingquan said, “since Madam has that Shanzha mask, it’s not impossible she also got other masks from that Li Qianmian. We don’t even know what she looks like now! Wouldn’t a portrait be useless?”
“Fool!” Xing Muzheng barked. “Haven’t you realized there’s something else missing?”
Li Qingquan hunched his neck under the scolding but still didn’t know what he meant. Could it be… that basket?
Suddenly Ah Da’s eyes lit up. “Madam’s dog! Madam must have put Big Sis in the basket and taken it with her!”
“Exactly! Jiaoniang took that one-eyed dog with her. Have the artist draw the dog. Plaster the whole county with it! Whoever sees that dog, or even hears its bark, will be handsomely rewarded!” Jiaoniang’s dog was far more memorable than an ordinary one—if she was still in the county, someone would surely have seen it.
Li Qingquan and the others, as if waking from a dream, hurried out. Ah Da saw the maidservants still kneeling pitifully on the floor. He wanted to tell them to leave, but feared master might have more questions for them. When Xing Muzheng suddenly waved his hand, Ah Da quickly ordered them to get up and withdraw.
Xing Pingchun was still standing there, wanting to go out as well, but Xing Muzheng called to him: “Chou’er, stay.”
Xing Pingchun stopped, turned back, and slowly walked to stand before Xing Muzheng.
Once everyone else had gone, the room became utterly still. Xing Muzheng stared at him for a while, then sat on a round stool, gesturing to the one across from him for the boy to sit. Xing Pingchun sat properly, hands flat on his thighs, head bowed.
After a pause, Xing Muzheng asked: “You don’t want your mother to be with me?”
Xing Pingchun snapped his head up and shook it hard.
“Then why didn’t you stop her when she tried to remarry?” This was something Xing Muzheng had long wanted to ask.
Xing Pingchun replied, “Though I hoped Mother and Father would be together, Mother has her own mind.”
“And this time, her leaving—was that her decision too?”
Xing Pingchun stiffened, slowly lowering his small head. “I don’t know.”
“Do you want your mother to come back?”
Xing Pingchun stayed silent for a long time. Xing Muzheng didn’t press him. Finally, the boy said, “If this too is Mother’s decision, then Father should let her go. I’m grown now, she doesn’t have to take care of me.” His head remained bowed, the words forced out one by one.
Xing Muzheng let out a cold laugh. “Your mother certainly raised a fine son.” As he spoke, a sudden memory flashed—Qian Jiaoniang telling him before, “Raise him well.” She must have already made up her mind to escape, and only said that so he wouldn’t mistreat the boy after she left—leaving what sounded like her dying words.
Xing Muzheng took two deep breaths and waved his son away. Would he really take out his anger on the boy?
Xing Pingchun rose, glanced once at his father, and walked out in silence—leaving Xing Muzheng alone in the room.
Xing Pingchun wandered back to his own quarters in a daze. He sat slowly on the edge of the bed, lowered his head, and looked at the pouch at his waist. Untying the cord, he opened it—inside, besides a few broken bits of silver, was a thin stack of paper. He pulled it out and unfolded it—banknotes. Four thousand taels in all.
“Don’t let your father know.”
“Keep them safe, or I’ll tan your hide!”
His mother’s words seemed still to ring in his ears.
She had left all her fortune to him. She had truly gone alone. Clutching the banknotes tightly, Xing Pingchun’s tears rolled down like strings of broken pearls.
Meanwhile, Xing Muzheng still sat in Qian Jiaoniang’s room. Her scent seemed to linger in the air, and without reason, a restless fear crept into his chest. Jiaoniang had a ruthless streak—what if she truly abandoned husband and child, never to return? Wouldn’t that mean he would never see her again in this life? She would be free, while he would be left with only regret and pain, with no one to confide in. His heart clenched sharply—was it anger, grief, or hurt? Why would she refuse to give him even a chance to change? Leaving him was one thing—but to leave even Chou’er behind? That meant her loathing for him had reached the point of being unbearable.
If she refused to give him that chance… was he truly to do as Chou’er said, and follow her wishes—let her go? Xing Muzheng drew a sharp breath. It was as if a large piece of his heart had been carved out in an instant, leaving him in pain, unable to breathe.
