Chapter 209: The Note
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The path to his dwelling was so dark he couldn’t see his own feet, and only a few scattered lamps swayed, fighting to dispel the darkness.
Three Blessings had long grown accustomed to these kinds of days; after all, no one would bother leaving a lamp burning for a lowly eunuch. Yet, even though he was familiar with it, every time he walked this path, he couldn’t help but feel melancholic.
He had once been a man with a home, even if he came home drunk from the village, there would always be someone waiting in the courtyard.
Several children would gather at the doorway, and as he listened to his wife’s complaints, he’d distribute the little trinkets he carried to the children. Once inside, there would be a hangover remedy waiting on the table.
He had a source of money that couldn’t bear the light of day, allowing him to have his needs met. Yet, his wife still took the children to the mountains to gather herbs and vegetables. Initially, he couldn’t handle the hardship, but he couldn’t bear the loneliness at home either, so he joined in. And eventually, he found the sweetness of life in the mountains.
It wasn’t the food that was sweet, but the warmth of those days.
Sometimes, he even wondered—if he hadn’t gone out to gallivant and fool around, if he hadn’t been called over by that person in Fengliu District, if he hadn’t nodded foolishly due to greed—perhaps his life would have been entirely different from what it was now.
Driven by a bit of sympathy for his son or maybe the fear of revealing his weaknesses to others, his dwelling, though small, was solely his.
Three Blessings didn’t light a lamp. He felt his way onto the bed and, out of habit, fished out a marble from a crevice beneath the bedding.
An antique style, a favorite among children years ago, something probably not available even in markets now.
He had bought some, planning to give them to the kids when he returned. Yet, he never even managed to step inside the house, let alone see them one last time.
For so many years, he had been regretful. If only he hadn’t gone out for drinks that day. If only he had been more cautious. If only he hadn’t been greedy.
If he had known early on that this couldn’t be a long-term solution, that enjoying a life of ease wouldn’t last, he would have moved away long ago…
Will nothing happen after all?
Unfortunately, in this world, there’s never such a thing as “if.”
In the process of playing with the marble, it scattered all over the floor. Unexpectedly, there was one left in the end, becoming his sole point of longing.
Only when he caressed the marble could he remember that the harmonious life he had with a wife and child was not a dream.
After tossing and turning for a moment, just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard a soft sound as something fell onto his bed.
“Who’s there?”
In the silence of the night, there was no response, but his fingers found a stone, a common stone with a note tied to it.
For some reason, Three Blessings’s heart suddenly raced incessantly. Perhaps it had been too long in this stagnant, still water of days, so much so that even a falling leaf on the water’s surface would cause ripples of excitement.
Holding the note in his hand, he quietly slipped off the bed, adjusting the wick of the oil lamp to the smallest setting before carefully lighting it.
By the dim candlelight, his hands trembled greatly, yet he still read the words on the note one by one—”Mu Jingyan is not your biological son, and Qin Siyuan is still in the mortal realm.”
***
Bai Shiyan turned a corner and saw four people standing awkwardly in the courtyard. Seeing him walk towards them, the group shrank back as if blown by the wind.
This reminded him of someone from a few years ago in the palace. Despite kneeling on the ground, that person remained calm and composed, with serene eyes as if not even life and death were of concern.
Bai Shiyan halted his steps, positioning himself in front of them. Already tall in stature, his stance with the drawn sword and the lowered gaze heightened the sense of intimidation.
“Who are you?” He asked, though he already knew.
A man quickly bowed and answered, “This humble one is Qu Zhiye, and this is my unworthy son. We have the honor of meeting General.”
Bai Shiyan’s fingers, holding the hilt of the sword, twitched. If he hadn’t been unsure about the next steps, afraid of disturbing the matter involving his two younger brothers, he might have attacked without control.
They shared the same blood… he looked them up and down, his brow furrowing.
His mother was always talking about her younger son at home, wishing to catch a glimpse of him, but how did it end up that Qu Chenzhou was born under this man’s name? It was truly unjust.
Fortunately, Chenzhou and Zhongming had gone to great lengths to create an antagonistic atmosphere, and since the turmoil had already been stirred, Mu Jingyan had no need and no convenient way to accommodate these people. Zhongming had requested to take them in from the emperor under the pretext of surveillance and protection.
They still had a long time to work on this situation.
However, in doing so… if His Majesty were to have even the slightest suspicion in the future, it might become a pretext for others to bring up and discuss.
However, this move… was sinister to the point of being nauseating.
“It’s you,” he sneered, “I heard about you. If you manage to take down Qu Chenzhou this time, your merits will be quite remarkable.”
“Praise… you’re overpraising,” Qu Zhiye smiled apologetically, then realized and stuttered, “General, what do you mean by ‘take down’?”
“You don’t understand?” Someone spoke under the latticed door.
Bai Shiyan waved a hand to the person and greeted, “Zhongming, didn’t you go to the yamen today?”
“Can’t you see the important guests. How could I go out?”
Hearing him say this, Qu Zhiye quickly humbly replied, “Young Master, please don’t be polite…”
Bai Shiyan restrained his anger in the gaze of his good friend and proceeded to discuss the main matter, “It’s been delivered.”
Liu Zhongming nodded briefly, understanding that this was a way of explaining to Zhou Huaishan’s side. Mu Jingyan’s methods were cunning and tricky, and they couldn’t simply play defense; they had to take some offensive actions as well. They also couldn’t let Chenzhou suffer any losses in vain.
Lifting a teacup from his hand, Zhongming opened the letter Bai Shiyan handed him. It was from his sister. With a single glance at the divination on top, he already knew what Chenzhou wanted him to do.
For such a family, it might be hard for others to understand, but since his mother was still confined, he couldn’t say anything about Chenzhou—for as long as Chenzhou felt better, he would do anything.
“I understand. Let him rest assured that this time there won’t be any trouble.”
Engrossed in their own conversation, they paid no attention to Qu Zhiye, who was left on the side, growing increasingly anxious as he rubbed his hands together.
Seeing that Bai Shiyan had nothing more to say, he seized the opportunity to cautiously ask, “May I inquire, sirs, about what you just said… ‘take down Qu Chenzhou’? What does it mean?”
Both of their gazes shifted to him.
“You can’t understand such a simple statement?” Zhongming scoffed, “Qu Chenzhou is stubborn and arrogant, believing himself untouchable due to favoritism. He even dared to defy the emperor’s command and refused to acknowledge your existence. The emperor is furious and it’s rumored that he plans to sever Qu Chenzhou’s hands and demote him to a commoner, to be escorted back by you.”
“Sever his hands?” Qu Zhiye’s voice rose in panic, “Why would we want a useless person?”
“How should I know what you want to do? Wasn’t it you who claimed he was from your Qu family? If you don’t take him back, do you expect me to keep him?”
Qu Zhiye was now thoroughly flustered, “This… this is different from what was said before.”
Zhongming raised an eyebrow, seeing him stutter, and coldly snorted, “Qu Zhiye, do you not know who rescued you from that place? Have you forgotten that there are two young ones in someone else’s hands?”
At this point, Qu Zhiye suddenly realized, and there was no room left for doubt. He quickly knelt on the ground.
“Your… Your Highness, it’s this one’s fault for being ignorant. But, earlier you said we should find Chenzhou, and even if he’s forced by the situation, he will treat us well. We’ll have no worries about food and clothing. How did it turn out like this?”
“How did it turn out like this!” A woman, who had been silent at the back, suddenly shouted shrilly.
“I told you long ago, that little b*stard is nothing but a white-eyed wolf. When our eldest died, he didn’t even shed a tear! He’s simply born to collect debts!”
“I’ve heard people say that when he used to tell fortunes, he charged three hundred taels of silver each time! What about the silver? Did he ever think about his own parents and siblings?”
“Now that he’s become an official, he struts around like he’s invincible, giving orders left and right. How could he even bother with us!”
Her speech was incredibly fast, like a sudden downpour, striking the roof and making a buzzing noise in everyone’s ears.
Zhongming had initially thought that as a woman, she wouldn’t fuss too much, and when he saw her face that closely resembled another, he involuntarily softened. However, this sudden downpour of words caught him off guard, leaving him stunned for a moment. Then, he suddenly shouted, “Qu Zhiye!”
Qu Zhiye’s face turned pale with fright. Suddenly, he stood up and slapped the woman twice, attempting to strike her again, but his two sons intervened and stopped him.
As he was prevented from landing the blows, he cursed furiously, “Shut up, woman, in front of His Highness, do you think people will think you are a mute if you don’t speak!”
“You’re not a mute!” Qu Ningshi retorted without yielding, “You’re not a mute. As long as you press him a little in front of the emperor, he will concede. How could it come to this point? He came from my womb, how could he dare to deny it!”
“Shut your mouth!”
A young man who supported Qu Ningshi tried to restrain her and whispered, “Mother, say a little less. Regarding Chenzhou… even if he’s been difficult, it hasn’t been easy for him to climb out these years. Let’s not disturb him…”
This time, it was Qu Zhiye who scolded, “When did this family become yours to control…”
A teacup shattered on the floor, snapping him back to reality, and he stammered, “Lord… Lord Shizi…”
“Since when did it become your turn to make a fuss here?” Zhongming raised his hand to stop Bai Shiyan and sternly warned, “I’m only giving one warning. If anyone continues to blab unnecessarily, I’ll cut out all of your tongues together!”
Even Qu Ningshi lowered her head this time, not daring to act recklessly. Qu Zhiye felt anxious but could only look around with his eyes, helplessly seeking support.
Zhongming gazed coldly at them for a while before snorting, “You’re right in what you said. I mentioned earlier that he might recognize you under pressure. But I was impatient and wanted to assert my authority. I went to great lengths to find you but overlooked something.”
Qu Zhiye cautiously interjected, “Lord Shizi, are you saying…”
“I’m saying that I actually didn’t check beforehand whether you are indeed Qu Chenzhou’s parents or siblings.”
“Yes, of course,” Qu Zhiye’s face turned pale, and he knelt with a thud, “Your Highness, you see clearly. Naturally, we are genuine. Everyone in Changshui Town knows him. They all know he was sold from our family.”
At the mention of the word “sold,” Bai Shiyan’s eyebrows twitched. He naturally joined the conversation with Zhongming and asked, “People from Changshui Town?”
Qu Zhiye grew a bit anxious, “Reporting to General, the town suffered from a disaster a few years ago. People were scattered and many died due to a flood. We also… don’t know where everyone went.”
“Then who can testify for you?”
“General! How could we fake this? We all still remember the birthmark on Chenzhou’s body. And his eyes, they weren’t like this when he was born. They changed after he fell seriously ill. He could kill people with his words. We were terrified and sent him away to prevent any harm.”
The word “kill” made Bai Shiyan’s eyebrows jump. He quickly engaged Zhongming in conversation, asking, “What about the people from Changshui Town?”
Qu Zhiye hesitated, “Reporting to General, the town experienced a disaster a few years ago, and the flood scattered people. We also… don’t know where everyone went.”
“Then who can testify for you?”
“General! How could we fake this? We all still remember the birthmark on Chenzhou’s body. And his eyes, they weren’t like this when he was born. They changed after he fell seriously ill. He could kill people with his words. We were terrified and sent him away to prevent any harm.”
Bai Shiyan couldn’t help but sneer, “Why aren’t you afraid now? You rush over to claim kinship after a few words?“
Qu Zhiye was at a loss for words, so he sneakily looked at Zhongming, knowing he had the final say.
As if oblivious to his anxiety, Zhongming read the note in his hand repeatedly, then sneered, “Is this all? I know more than you do.”
“Qu Chenzhou was once sold in my establishment. Don’t mention birthmarks, I know every hair on his body.”
“What of it? I know even more than you. Does that mean I can be his father?”
“Not… not that,” Qu Zhiye didn’t dare to retort much. He felt something strange about the places where the Lord Shizi was furious, but he didn’t dare think too much. He could only plead in a low voice, “Lord Shizi, what should we do now? If Chenzhou loses his hands and becomes useless, this…”
“What should we do? I think this way is quite good,” gritted his teeth. “It’s more satisfying than recognizing kin. Show some authority, how could it be better than rendering him useless.”
“No, don’t!” exclaimed Qu Zhiye in panic. “Lord Shizi, as long as we can make him sincerely acknowledge his ancestry, we’ll ensure to keep him obedient in the future. He won’t dare oppose the Lord Shizi again! No, I guarantee he will follow your orders!”
“Don’t be so pleased with yourself. I’m afraid you’ll accomplish more harm than good,” Liu Zhongming said, infuriated yet with a hint of amusement. “Do you think he’s that easily manipulated? The Emperor has sent people to verify your family records in Wuan Prefecture. If you dare impersonate his identity, let alone recognizing kinship, you won’t even be able to keep your head!”
“We…”
Zhongming waved his hand, not wanting to spend another moment with them, “Don’t waste my time with excuses. I only recognize official records. If you want to live, obediently follow my instructions. Say a single wrong word, and your whole family will pay the price!”
As he watched the four members of the Qu family being escorted away, Bai Shiyan also entered the inner courtyard and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Disgusting!”
Ignoring Bai Shiyan’s comment, Zhongming spread out a map and meticulously scrutinized every detail, marking several locations in accordance with the divination.
“Shiyan, Wuyang is still outside. When he’s patrolling the city at the North Bureau, make sure he lingers around here. Secretly deploy some personnel, and if anything unexpected happens, strike immediately.”
Bai Shiyan noted down the instructions one by one and then voiced his concerns, “Zhongming, but this way, Mu Jingyan will have an even better understanding of both you and Chenzhou. What should we do?”
“The emperor is suspicious by nature. Even if he learns, we need to find a way to make him believe. As long as we take action before him, we can get through this hurdle.”
Zhongming’s words were an attempt to alleviate Bai Shiyan’s worries, but the cunning methods of Mu Jingyan were difficult to predict. Neither he nor Chenzhou dared to claim that inviting the enemy into the trap would be completely foolproof.
Bai Shiyan’s anxiety finally eased, and he asked, “After retrieving the official records, what about the Qu family? They only care about wealth and prosperity. Can they easily accept failure?”
“Ultimately, life matters more than wealth. After frightening them a bit, they’ll quickly change their tune and then we can send them away.”
Just as Bai Shiyan was about to ask something else, Zhongming interrupted, “For them, just do as Chenzhou wants. Whether they live or die, keep them away from Chenzhou. We don’t want him to have any difficulties.”
“That… sounds reasonable.”
“What about Chenzhou? How is he?” Zhongming inquired. After leaving with his men, he hadn’t had the chance to learn about the situation in the palace.
“The emperor initially intended to punish him to save face. Last night, Chenzhou fainted outside the Warm Pavilion, and the emperor had him sent to the Star Gazing Pavillion.”
Zhongming’s gaze landed on the shattered teacup on the floor, and he clenched his teeth for a moment before managing to squeeze out a sentence.
“Shiyan, I just feel like killing someone just now!”
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