Chapter 14 Your relatives paved the way for you with their deaths.
As dusk deepened, a thin mist rose into the night.
Chen Liangyu ordered two more lamps to be added, their shadows illuminating the outline of a rough bow on the wall. Though called a study, it contained only a dozen or so military books, and crossbow racks were displayed everywhere.
As curfew approached, the long streets and alleys of Shangyong fell silent, while the noisy voices drifted into the front courtyard of the Xuanping Marquis's residence. Soon after, the back courtyard also began to bustle with activity.
The commotion alerted the Liangyuan Study. Chen Liangyu bowed to Xie Wenjun in farewell and went out to investigate.
The noise grew louder the further you walked into the front courtyard.
Upon closer inspection, a group of wealthy and powerful local gentry, dressed in fine silks and brocades, were gathered on the wide blue-brick road in front of the main hall. Their appearances were somewhat familiar, yet he did not recognize them. Upon closer inspection, the two stout and burly men at the head of the group bore a striking resemblance to Chen Yuanqing.
A middle-aged man dressed in gold-embroidered clothes and wearing silver belt bowed and treated Chen Yuanqing and his wife, He, and Chen Linjun with great care and affection, calling them "elder brother," "elder sister-in-law," and "nephew" affectionately.
Chen Liangyu immediately realized who this group of people were.
It must be her relatives and uncles who had been exiled to Cangnan County and had lost contact with her for more than ten years.
There were huge crowds, young and old alike.
She didn't want to be dragged over by a group of unfamiliar faces, patted on the shoulder, touched in the hand, and then forced into a fake, ingratiating facade. Unable to stay still for even a moment, she quietly retreated while the fog concealed her from being noticed.
In the center of the crowd, an elderly man in plain clothes sat leisurely. Though old, his eyes were not blind. He spoke to her in a hoarse voice, "Is this Liangyu?"
The focus of everyone's attention suddenly shifted. After a moment of silence, several brightly dressed women came over with smiles and swaying hips, offering a few flattering words.
Two middle-aged men also gathered around, and had several brocade boxes brought up. Just by looking at the boxes, one could tell that the contents inside were valuable.
The man in gold and silver said, "I heard that my dear niece is about to preside over the wedding at the Crown Prince's Palace. I asked your aunts to instruct me to bring a small gift. I hope my dear niece will not find it offensive or refuse it."
The box was opened, revealing a dazzling golden gleam inside—a gold and pearl-encrusted crown with phoenix motifs and over a hundred rubies and sapphires, exuding unparalleled magnificence. There were also pearl and jade pendants and earrings, all of the finest treasures.
Chen Yuanqing's expression changed drastically. Enraged, he raised his hand and knocked the phoenix crown off. The crown crashed down, leaving a mark on the blue brick surface. He suddenly shouted, "My daughter's marriage is not yet settled! Don't speak recklessly! What are your intentions in privately forging this phoenix crown?"
The man was so startled that his hand trembled. "Yes, yes, it's not decided yet, it's not decided yet. The imperial edict hasn't been issued yet!" He then knelt down instantly and burst into tears. "Brother, please, my dear niece, save my life!"
Chen Linjun pulled her aside and stood behind her, saying, "Uncle, my sister is just a woman, how could she know anything about court affairs? No matter how important it is, please get up and talk to Father in the main hall first."
After much persuasion, they finally managed to get the person up.
Chen Liangyu struggled to break free from the women's encirclement and stood with Chen Linjun.
The old man in plain clothes was also annoyed when he saw the crown. He immediately cursed, "What are you doing wearing this rubbish? You're more trouble than you're worth!" Then he turned to Chen Yuanqing and said in a gentle tone, "Chongming, the Chen family has wronged your branch. It was I who was the one who expelled you and Yunzhou from the family back then. I'm here today to let you decide what to do with me! But the Chen family in Cangnan has three or four thousand people, including relatives and in-laws. You can't just sit idly by! They are all related to you by blood, they are your own brothers and uncles!"
Chen Liangyu asked her elder brother, "Is he a cousin? Wasn't Father Grandfather's only son?"
Chen Linjun said, "How do you consider us related? We're cousins."
Chen Liangyu leaned against a pillar in the corridor and said, "The Crown Prince has implemented a new tax system, reducing taxes for the people for three years to allow them to recuperate after the war. However, the country is weak and in a dilemma. Is the attack on Cangnan just to fill the Ministry of Revenue's bad debts and make up for the tax cuts over the next three years? It's about spending money to save lives. Is it possible that you are still reluctant to part with your valuables even now?"
The words weren't spoken loudly, but the plump gentry with sharp ears overheard them. Grasping at a straw, he hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, we've brought it all! Gold and silver ingots, banknotes, silk, tea, jewels, agate, animal hides—twenty cartloads in total! Fifty or sixty boats have already entered the port and will arrive in three to five days." He then wiped away tears, "Brother, sister-in-law, we've sold all our family's property. We're willing to hand over all our accumulated wealth over the years to the national treasury to alleviate the country's crisis. We only beg you, brother, to save the descendants of the Chen family!"
Hearing the portly gentry say that the amount of wealth they brought was so enormous it could balance the national accounts, Chen Yuanqing's worry deepened instead of fading. His lips trembled as he said, "You... you moved to Cangnan and still can't live a decent life? Such a huge sum of money, how much wealth did you plunder from the people? I bet you've plucked every blade of grass from the fields and dug every stone from the mountains of Cangnan?"
The brother and sister in the corridor were also taken aback.
With a family fortune of twenty carts and fifty or sixty ships, they could cover the deficit of the Lin Dynasty for several years with the wealth of one family. What kind of immense wealth is this?
This is no country gentry, he should be a powerful and wealthy magnate!
Chen Liangyu vaguely sensed that something was amiss, and it seemed to have gone beyond the scope of "money and silk".
The Crown Prince's real target was the Yao family of Cangnan, the same family as Consort De and Minister of Works Yao Chongshan. Why did Madam Chen have to squander her family fortune yet barely manage to save her clan members? And why did the clan elder, over eighty years old, have to swallow his pride and personally lead his clan members on a long and arduous journey to Shangyong City to beg for help from his kinsmen whom he had expelled from the family?
This group of people also had the intention of binding and entangled each other, trying to firmly tie the rise and fall of the Cangnan Chen family to the Shangyong Xuanping Marquis's Mansion. They said, "My parents are stationed in the northern border and have not had any contact with you all for so many years. Now that we have been removed from the register and separated from the family, my father cannot be associated with your 'our family'!"
At this, everyone fell silent, stopped crying and pleading, and looked at each other in bewilderment.
The clan elder who saw Chen Liangyu first said to Chen Yuanqing, "Chongming, it's fine for the women in the family to listen in when the elders are discussing matters, but how can they be so disrespectful? Tell her to leave."
It was clearly in a commanding tone.
Chen Linjun's face was already extremely tense, but he couldn't lash out.
He is the face of the Marquis's mansion, the eldest son who will inherit the title of Marquis in the future. His words and deeds reflect the character and virtue of Chen Yuanqing and the Xuanping Marquis's mansion. He is extremely particular about being considerate and amiable in public.
However, he gave a look to the side: Little sister!
Chen Liangyu's expression was calm, but his words were sharp as a knife: "I respect you as an elder, so I won't say anything more unpleasant. Look carefully at the land beneath your feet. This is Yongdu, the residence of the Marquis of Xuanping. You are just a commoner. It's one thing to not show proper respect when paying homage to a marquis, but you also want to act like an elder of the clan in my home, relying on your seniority. There is a curfew in Shangyong today. Please leave early tomorrow morning. This residence will not entertain you."
The elder's face turned pale and then flushed, and the men, women, and children in the courtyard were stunned by her words and didn't know what to do.
"I don't care what you've come all this way to discuss with my parents, but please remember at all times that the Chen family of Cangnan and the Chen family of Xuanping Marquis of Shangyong are two different things. If any unscrupulous person causes a huge mess that can't be fixed, and tries to force their way in and destroy everything, the Marquis's mansion is not something to be trifled with."
The two leaders were quick-witted and immediately realized that they had offended the host family. They tried to mediate and persuade her, saying, "Dear niece, please don't be angry. Your uncle apologizes on behalf of the clan elders. Please don't rush to send the guests away."
With a drooping face, he pleaded with Chen Linjun: "Nephew Linjun, if it were for our own sake, we wouldn't have come. How could we have the face to ask for help again? It's not for your sisters and brothers in the clan. We really can't bear to see them suffer! Even if it costs us our fortune, we must find a way for them to survive!"
The fog was heavy and damp, and the wind was cold and damp, making it difficult to see the faces in the courtyard.
The wind was cold and the dew was heavy, and Chen Yuanqing's cough flared up.
Chen Liangyu strode over and patted his back to help him catch his breath. "Father, it's cold. Let's go inside."
Chen Yuanqing coughed and said calmly to the open courtyard, "My family doesn't have that rotten set of rules. Lin Jun can do whatever he wants, listen to whatever he wants, and discuss whatever he wants, so Liang Yu can do whatever he wants, listen to whatever he wants, and discuss whatever he wants."
Everyone agreed and followed Chen Yuanqing like sheep returning to their fold, crowding into the main hall.
The clan elder, leaning on his cane and supported by others, walked at the back of the crowd, his dark face unresponsive to his calls for help. In this life-or-death situation, no one cared about hierarchy or human relationships; his attempts to maintain a facade were met with indifference.
Chen Liangyu did not follow them inside.
A large group of people, talking all at once, couldn't make heads or tails of it. She remembered what Xie Wenjun had told her that day during the thunderstorm.
Since Marquis Xuanping is not returning to the northern border, it is best not to concern himself with matters of the court.
"I'm not trying to reprimand Marquis Xuanping on behalf of my elder brother, the Crown Prince."
The light in Liangyuan Study was brighter than elsewhere, hazy in the thick fog, as if coated with a soft light.
Xie Wenjun remained seated at her desk, engrossed in reading the books that Chen Liangyu had accompanied her to the library to select at dusk.
Chen Liangyu pushed open the door and entered. The tall, elegant figure lifted her long, thick eyelashes and calmly glanced at her. Before she could speak, he asked, "Has someone from Cangnan County come?"
Chen Liangyu nodded and said, "Yes."
Xie Wenjun put down his book and said seriously, word by word, "I told you before, it's best if Marquis Xuanping doesn't interfere in the affairs of Cangnan."
If left unattended, one can remain unscathed; but once involved, not only will one fail to save others, but one will also plunge the Marquis's mansion into a quagmire.
"What does His Highness the Crown Prince possess?" Chen Liangyu asked. "To put it another way, besides money, what else does His Highness the Crown Prince desire? Is it the Yao family, the Marquis's mansion, or the Northern Border? Or perhaps, all of the above?"
“You can’t save them,” Xie Wenjun sighed softly. “I’m sorry, I have no answer to your questions.”
"I didn't intend to save him."
As the wind rose, it squeezed through the gaps in the doors and windows into the study, the candlelight flickering high and low.
A dark shadow under the lamp.
The trial implementation of the new tax law is merely a side effect; behind the scenes, there are many who want to obstruct its implementation. If not handled carefully, the new system could be stillborn and unable to be implemented. Changing the old system requires an iron fist.
Behind the desk, a beautiful young woman with fair skin sat serenely in the candlelight and shadows, not directly answering Chen Liangyu's question. "The Yao family and the Chen family of Cangnan are deeply intertwined. Can you really say who is the main force and who is the henchman? The people's livelihood is of great importance, and we must first kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys."
Despite his ambiguous words, Chen Liangyu clearly pinpointed the crux of the matter.
The Yao family and the Chen family are now like mayflies in the twilight of their lives.
Outside Yongdu City, in the muddy wilderness, straw sandals fluttered as people trudged through the ankle-deep snow, their shadows swaying.
They moved slowly and indifferently, dressed in tattered clothes and worn-out shoes, showing no compassion for their fellow human beings who collapsed and died in the wind, snow, hunger, and cold along the way.
He was a thin, yellow-skinned refugee.
Along with twenty carts and fifty or sixty boats laden with gold and silver treasures, tens of thousands of refugees from Cangnan County also headed to Shangyong.
"Now you might as well think about how to avoid implicating the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, or how to use their lives for your own purposes. If their blood can pave the way for you, then their deaths will not have been in vain."
Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, Xie Wenjun maintained the same tone and posture throughout the entire ordeal.
With millions of lives on her hands, her first thought was what she could gain by exploiting those lives.
Chen Liangyu had long known that she was not some kind-hearted bodhisattva, yet she was once again greatly shocked. Though caught in the middle of the situation, she remained steadfast, dispelling the fog of war and remaining unmoved even as the enemy's ships and towers were reduced to ashes.
Alas, those who aspire to high office have abandoned me like dust.
Born into royalty, she was a born ruler.
A note from the author:
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