That very night, Xing Muzheng decided they would return to Yuzhou the next day. He summoned Li Qing in private—he wanted to bring Li Qing’s son, Li Ding, with them. Xing Pingchun, his own son, still lacked a study companion. Xing Muzheng had noticed Li Ding and Pingchun were around the same age and got along well, and Li Ding had a bright, lively personality. He was considering having the two boys study together.
Though Li Qing was reluctant to part with his son, he gladly accepted once he learned that the commander himself had chosen his son to be the Marquis’s son’s companion. He also knew this was a huge opportunity. The great scholar teaching the Marquis’s son far surpassed any academy teacher—and with Pingchun training in martial arts and archery too, maybe, just maybe, the Li family would one day produce a scholar-general of their own.
Xing Muzheng said to him, “You needn’t be reluctant. Since you’re willing to let your son follow Chou’er, then talk with your father-in-law, give up the shop, and move your whole family to Yuzhou to do business. I’ll have someone else take care of this house.”
Li Qing was suddenly enlightened and overjoyed. He immediately wanted to go inside and discuss the good news with his wife. Xing Muzheng said, “What? You can’t make decisions in your own home?”
Li Qing laughed, “Commander, of course I make the decisions in my home. My wife listens to me. It’s just… I think a house is just a building if one person lives in it—it only becomes a home when two people live together. Between husband and wife, it’s better to discuss things. Otherwise, wouldn’t my wife just be my servant? That doesn’t sit right.”
Xing Muzheng frowned.
The next day, Xing Muzheng ordered the servants to prepare for the return journey. Li Qing had already explained everything to his son. Though Li Ding was still young, he was a steady child. Once he heard he’d be studying alongside Xing Pingchun, and that his parents would come find him soon, he happily got into the carriage.
Xing Muzheng instructed Li Qing to keep an eye on Chen Zhuo.
After breaking down in tears the day before, Qian Jiaoniang felt she had embarrassed herself and refused to leave the carriage out of shame. Thankfully, Xing Muzheng had the good sense not to insist she ride a horse. They didn’t delay much on the return trip and stayed one night at Laifu Inn as they had before. Qian Jiaoniang took a walk around the inn but didn’t see that one-eyed stray dog from last time.
It was probably dead by now.
The next day, before the sun had set, the group arrived back at the marquis’s estate. After stepping down from the carriage at the front hall, Xing Pingchun immediately ran off to feed his little Ant, afraid they’d starve if left too long. Xing Muzheng handed his riding whip to a servant, and Ding Zhang rushed up to report, “Master, something terrible has happened. Yesterday morning, Young Master and Young Miss drowned by the river outside Yuzhou City!”
Ding Zhang had heard they were escorting the aunt and uncle’s ashes back to their hometown. He was completely baffled—how had the whole Tian family of four died in just a few short days?
Qian Jiaoniang had been walking back to her room with Qingya, but upon hearing this, she whipped her head around in shock.
Xing Muzheng’s expression remained calm. “Where are they now?”
“They’re at the yamen! Governor Xie heard they were your relatives and took it seriously. Right now, the coachman and the young master and miss’s bodies are all at the magistrate’s office. The governor even questioned the coachman.”
Xing Muzheng said, “Take two men and bring the coachman back. As for the bodies—just find somewhere to bury them.”
Ding Zhang’s heart jumped. That sounded like he meant to toss the bodies out in the wilderness! “Then what about the aunt and uncle’s ashes…”
“Just bury them together with their son and daughter.” Letting them return to the earth was already more than enough kindness.
Ding Zhang had a thousand questions in his gut but dared not voice a single one. He received the order and retreated.
Xing Muzheng turned around and saw Qian Jiaoniang staring straight at him. He walked up to her and casually said, “When you cut weeds, you must pull out the roots,” then walked away.
Qian Jiaoniang had once thought herself ruthless—but compared to Xing Muzheng, he was far more merciless.
She stood there dazed for a moment, then turned to Qingya and said bitterly, “What do I do? I don’t think I can beat the marquis.”
***
Because of that single line—“I don’t think I can beat the marquis”—Qingya laughed the entire way back. She laughed at how Qian Jiaoniang overestimated herself, acting like some heroine who wanted to challenge a battle-hardened general.
Qian Jiaoniang tried to explain gloomily that in their dialect, “beat” didn’t mean physical fighting—it just meant she couldn’t win against him in general. But Qingya didn’t listen. She just kept laughing.
The two of them laughed and bickered all the way back to the small courtyard. As they neared a corner of the wall, they suddenly heard a fierce dog bark from inside—“Woof!”
They looked at each other. There were no dogs in this courtyard—where had the barking come from?
Qian Jiaoniang pushed the door open and entered the yard. Inside, she saw one of the estate gatekeepers, Zhu Zhao, standing with his back to them, scolding something in a big cage: “What are you barking at?! Bark again and I’ll smash your teeth in! Ugly as you are, you should feel honored just being allowed into our marquis’s estate. You better behave—you might just end up living the good life.”
“Zhu Zhao, what are you muttering over there? This is a residence—why’d you bring a dog cage in here?” Qingya called out.
The moment Zhu Zhao heard the voice, he spun around and bowed repeatedly, “Madam! Miss Qingya! Your servant greets you!”
Qian Jiaoniang didn’t bother correcting him anymore. “What are you… doing here?” she began—but her voice cut off as she caught sight of the dog in the cage.
Though it looked cleaner now, and some white fur had emerged after a bath, its left eye socket was still a dark, empty hole. Patches of fur were still missing. There was no doubt—it was the same one-eyed stray dog from the inn.
Zhu Zhao followed her gaze and looked back at the dog. He laughed and explained, “Madam, the marquis said you seemed to like this dog, so he had us catch it and bring it back for you. Told us to train it up so it could be your companion. We’ve been feeding it these past few days—seems like it’s obedient, doesn’t bite, just really scared of people. Either growls all fierce-like or ignores everyone.”
The more he spoke, the more uncertain he sounded. The marquis’s behavior definitely seemed like he was trying to please the Madam. But if she really liked dogs, wouldn’t he have picked out a couple of prized Pekingese, the kind all the fashionable ladies loved? Why bring back this ugly mutt instead?
Qingya also recognized the one-eyed dog. Hearing Zhu Zhao’s explanation, she burst into laughter, “Oh my heavens! The marquis is really something else!”
She had never seen anyone gift a woman a dog—let alone a stray dog—and a crippled one at that! What kind of thinking was that? Was he so desperate he’d try anything? This was too outrageous!
Qian Jiaoniang stared blankly at the one-eyed dog. It stood stiffly in the cage, glaring back at her with its one black eye, baring its teeth and raising its hackles.
She snapped out of it, frowned, and said, “Who wants this ugly thing? Take it away!”
Zhu Zhao had expected her to say just that—who would want to raise such a hideous dog? But it was the marquis’s order. If he just dumped the dog, it’d be like slapping the marquis in the face. He smiled and said, “Madam, ugly as it may be, it’s still a token of the marquis’s care. And look how pitiful it is—if we let it go, it’ll probably die within a day. The marquis must’ve seen that you pitied it and brought it back for that reason. Everyone knows you have the softest heart, Madam!”
Qian Jiaoniang went quiet for a moment, then glared at him. “You’re so good at talking—why don’t you go be an opera singer?”
Qian Jiaoniang walked straight into the house without saying whether to keep the dog or not. Zhu Zhao was clever enough to understand—her silence meant she was keeping it. He grinned at Qingya and said, “Miss Qingya, I’ll bring some dog food over later. Please look after it a bit for Madam—just take pity on the poor thing.”
Qingya replied, “Got it, go do your work.”
