Chapter 206 – Well
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Although the winter of that year was bitterly cold, spring arrived unexpectedly early.
It was already mid-February, yet the midday sun was warm enough to hint at the scent of spring.
Liu Zhongming removed his padded cotton coat, tied his hair high, and played with a leather ball in his hand. Five or six people gathered around him, playing a game of “bai da”.
The ball rose and fell, danced on knees and toe tips, or traced a path across their bodies, while those who played used all their skills, whether it was “flowing star chasing the moon” or “spinning branches and twigs”, “big and small strikes”.
People not participating in the game cheered loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.
They played until the sun was high in the sky, marking the end of a joyous match. The crowd dispersed, and the courtyard gradually grew quiet again.
Holding a basin of water, Zhiwei noticed Liu Zhongming wiping his face repeatedly, his flushed skin refusing to cool down. He couldn’t help but speak softly, “Shizi seems to be in a good mood today.”
“Is that so?” Liu Zhongming tossed the sweatcloth into the basin and smiled.
Indeed, his mood was relatively good.
With Huai Wang’s interference, the Ministry of Revenue had no choice but to discreetly send Dong Chengyu away. Shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Dong Chengyu had left the capital and headed south.
Just as they had predicted, he took the water route.
As expected, Mu Jingyan harbored great wariness and suspicion towards Qu Chenzhou. If there had been any hesitation between the water and overland routes before, after the unexpected encounter between Qu Chenzhou and Dong Chengyu, the return journey decisively took the water route.
Liu Zhongming could even imagine the restless nights that awaited Huai Wang.
Dong Chengyu’s life or death was directly linked to the confrontation between the two sides, as well as Mu Jingyan’s evaluation of Qu Chenzhou.
“Feeling good,” he repeated, gesturing for Zhiwei to fetch the leather ball. He held it in his hand, testing its weight, and asked, “Have you played before?”
Zhiwei shook his head timidly.
“It’s alright even if you haven’t played. I’ll teach you.”
Without any hesitation, Liu Zhongming pulled Zhiwei over to face him. The ball dropped from his hand to his calf, then rolled onto the arch of his foot, bouncing back up.
“This is called ‘xia jie jie shu’. You kick with your legs and feet. Want to give it a try?”
With a flick of his toes, the ball shot directly towards Zhiwei, startling him into reflexively stepping back. The ball, propelled by the force, struck the tree trunk behind him before bouncing off at an odd angle, hitting the wellhead squarely, and vanishing without a trace.
The steward on the side hurriedly wanted to call someone to retrieve it, but Liu Zhongming waved his hand to dismiss them and gestured to Zhiwei, saying, “Go get it.”
Watching as Zhiwei’s face turned pale in an instant, his certainty went from fifty percent to eighty.
A well.
This was Qu Chenzhou’s divination for Zhiwei.
If Zhiwei was truly the person they were searching for, perhaps months or years of caution could help him remain calm at the mention of the term “Shimao County”. Perhaps he might forget the appearance of it, but the firsthand experience of fear…
That was impossible to forget.
Zhiwei was kind and naive. Compared to other methods that he and Qu Chenzhou could come up with, this might be the gentlest and most effective approach.
“Go on, retrieve the ball,” he urged.
Zhiwei’s footsteps moved slowly towards the well. He glanced at the well water for just a moment before his legs went weak, and he sat down by the well, shivering. He stammered, “Shizi, there’s—”
“There’s water in the well, perfect. Hold onto the rope and go down,” Liu Zhongming also went over, waving his hand to dismiss the others in the courtyard. He sat down by the well and asked, “Do you really expect this Shizi to go down personally?”
Seeing everyone retreating from the vicinity, Zhiwei finally understood, even though it was slowly. He realized that Shizi wasn’t causing trouble for no reason. When he knelt down by the well, his arms propping him up on the ground trembled.
“Shizi, spare me…”
“What have you done wrong?” Liu Zhongming stared at him unblinkingly, “Are you really unwilling to go down the well? Why?”
Under this unrelenting pressure, Zhiwei was completely flustered. “I… I dare not…”
“Why are you afraid?” Liu Zhongming’s voice softened, “Are you frightened, Qin Siyuan?”
Zhiwei suddenly lifted his head, his expression a mix of disbelief and greater fear. He couldn’t help but utter, “How did you…”
“How did I know your name?” Seeing him attempt to flee, Liu Zhongming was quick and decisive, grabbing his clothes and pressing him against the well’s edge. He cut straight to the point, “Calm down! I’m not here to kill you!”
That sentence was like a splash of cold water, instantly extinguishing the boiling fear in Zhiwei’s voice, which was now trembling with recognition, “Shizi, I don’t know anything! Please spare me!”
“Do you know nothing?” The question took a turn towards the right track earlier than expected. Liu Zhongming pressed further, “Are you saying you don’t know who broke into your house, who killed your parents and brother?”
Zhiwei’s eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded hastily.
“What if I’m willing to help you?”
“Shizi! You’d help me?” Zhiwei stood up abruptly, excitement evident in his voice. “You know who it is! Who is it?”
Luck finally favored them. The heavy burden in Liu Zhongming’s heart finally lifted, and he helped Zhiwei up.
“I promise you, I’ll take you to see that person with your own eyes. But before that, you need to tell me what happened that night and how you survived.”
Zhiwei’s legs turned weak, and with tear-blurred eyes, he was led into the study. Once again, he saw the two portraits, and the tightly wound string of many years finally snapped.
“They… they were killing…”
“Who are they?” Liu Zhongming sensed he was on the verge of breaking down and soothed him gently, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll ensure your safety. No one will know you’re here, and no one will be able to harm you.”
Zhiwei never imagined this secret would see the light of day again. Still, he couldn’t muster the courage to weep aloud. After drinking a few sips of water, he gradually calmed his choked sobs.
“I don’t know who they were. They suddenly rushed into the courtyard. I heard my mother’s cries…”
Liu Zhongming was afraid of alarming him and patiently asked, “At that time, were you hiding in the well?”
Trembling, Zhiwei nodded, “Yes, I was drawing water in the backyard when I heard voices up front. My mother told us to run, and out of fear, I hid in the well…”
Liu Zhongming let out a sigh of relief. Their hunch had been correct. Thankfully, Qu Chenzhou had noticed the oddness of the rope in the well.
“Were there four brothers in your family?” He remembered that the household registration record in Shimei County clearly stated so. “I found the bones of your four brothers in the mountain ditch. Why were you in the well?”
Zhiwei nodded faintly and recalled after a moment, realizing what he was being asked.
“Shizi, on that noon, a beggar came to our doorstep. My mother felt sorry for him and let him in. We were of similar age, so my mother gave him a set of my clothes. I think maybe…”
Liu Zhongming wiped his face slowly and hesitated for a long while, but he still didn’t mention the news about Zhou Huaishan.
Zhou Huaishan lived right under Mu Jingyan’s nose. Trying to impress Zhou Huaishan while keeping Zhiwei safe without alarming Huai Wang was a difficult task. Zhou Huaishan would unlikely to be saved.
Since that was the case, it was better not to give false hope from the start.
Seeing him stay silent for so long, Zhiwei softly sobbed for a moment before asking, “Shizi, who on earth did our family provoke?”
“It’s someone of higher status and power than me,” as Zhiwei’s gaze dimmed instantly, Liu Zhongming placed a hand on his shoulder. “Settle down, don’t mention this to anyone. I’ll keep my word. I will definitely help you seek revenge.”
Zhiwei wiped his eyes with his sleeve, nodded vigorously, fearing he might miss something and asked, “Is there anything else the Shizi wants to know? If there’s anything I can help with…”
“What else can you remember?”
That memory was too horrifying; he couldn’t forget it but also didn’t dare to recall it in his daily life. Hearing Liu Zhongming’s question, he shivered and began to recount slowly.
“I was in the well then, and the echoes were loud. They didn’t say much; most of their words were vague. But a few sentences, perhaps they were too unexpected at the time, that person said a few more words.”
As if sensing something, Liu Zhongming’s heart raced. He heard Zhiwei imitating the tone of “that person” and spoke urgently, “Are you sure it’s him? Chase after him! Leave none alive!”
This tone was utterly different from Mu Jingyan’s usual gentle words. Yet, he was so sure. The person speaking was Huai Wang, and the “he” mentioned in the words could only be his older brother.
“Alright… alright…”
He struggled to calm himself. Through the years of unraveling the threads little by little, he had gained enough composure to face any reality.
“Thank you, trust me,” his words consoled Zhiwei but were also an encouragement to himself. “I will definitely keep my promise.”
The path ahead was rough, the road long and arduous.
Liu Zhongming had someone escort Zhiwei away, and he had no time for sorrow. The capital was somewhat calm for now. He and Mu Jingyan were secretly entangled in a fierce conflict outside the city.
He was stretched thin, while Mu Jingyan had access to official funds as the overseer of salt and iron transportation. If this dragged on for much longer, it wouldn’t be beneficial to him in any way.
What mattered most now was using Qu Chenzhou’s arrangements to completely sever the ties between the Song family and Mu Jingyan.
But before he could even read a few pages of the documents on his desk, someone, as if entirely ignorant of the rules of the separate courtyard, burst in from the hanging flower gate, not even bothering to announce themselves, rushing in like a gust of wind.
“Shizi! There’s a big problem!”
It was the steward of the separate residence, who had served there for many years. To see him in such a panic made Liu Zhongming’s heart tighten suddenly.
As he quickly scanned the message on the paper, he felt as if he were plunged into an icy cave. Even though Dong Chengyu had died due to Huai Wang’s misjudgment, Mu Jingyan had still cast his suspicious gaze onto Qu Chenzhou.
And every time Mu Jingyan made a move, it struck at the most unbearable weak points.
Qu Chenzhou could face death with equanimity, but he wouldn’t compromise on this matter.
“Where is Chenzhou right now?”
He didn’t need an answer; he knew better than anyone Qu Chenzhou’s plans. At this moment, Qu Chenzhou should be on his way to the palace.
There was no time left.
“Quickly send someone to summon Fang Wuyang! Hurry!”
***
The noise outside the carriage escalated from faint to clamorous. This was a familiar route; he passed through here daily on his way to the palace. Even without looking out, Qu Chenzhou knew exactly where he was.
The bustling market he had once yearned for no longer held his interest, or perhaps he was simply too preoccupied.
He had conceived many strategies to counter Mu Jingyan, but facing him head-on, he realized that the other party was far more formidable than he had imagined.
He had a stratagem, and Mu Jingyan had his own method of scaling walls.
He had always believed that royal blood was something no emperor could tolerate. Exposing the incident involving Zhou Huaishan was their last resort, a surefire way to strike a fatal blow.
However, he hadn’t anticipated Mu Jingyan to play dirty and turn the tables, accusing Jingchen in return. Though they had narrowly escaped this trap thanks to Liu Weixian’s calculated sacrifice, using the same accusation against them would only make the Emperor feel like a fool.
In this contest, regardless of whether Jingchen’s side had a perfect countermeasure, Mu Jingyan had already emerged victorious.
This strategy was no longer viable; he needed to come up with a new plan.
“Who goes there?” Suddenly, the soldier leading the way shouted, “Dare to block the path!”
The adjutant riding alongside the carriage immediately spurred his horse forward, then returned after a while and whispered, “Report to Qu Sitian, there are people blocking the road and claiming injustice.”
Qu Chenzhou found it amusing. He didn’t expect someone to come and claim injustice in front of him.
“Go and see.”
As per convention, not only in the bustling market but even if not, officials were not allowed to ignore those who blocked the road and claimed injustice.
Amidst the soldiers parting on both sides, indeed, four people were kneeling on the ground, the man in his forties kneeling at the forefront, with a middle-aged woman to his left and two young men to his right.
A family of four.
Qu Chenzhou didn’t recognize them, but for some reason, just looking at their bowed backs sent a chill creeping through his bones.
As if wanting to trap him in a nightmare where there was no escape, the middle-aged woman cautiously lifted her head upon hearing footsteps, allowing him to catch a glimpse of a face strikingly similar to his own.
The man spoke first, his small, timid voice resounding like thunderclaps from the Ninth Heaven.
“Chenzhou… Do you still recognize your parents?”
Qu Chenzhou’s mouth opened, and a taste that was both metallic and sweet surged forth suddenly.
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