Chapter 18 The Runaway Causes Trouble: The Niece Cured Uncle Chang's Long-Term Low Blood Pressure...
Changsun Chang's mansion in the capital wasn't grand or luxurious, but it was exquisitely designed. The garden featured deep ponds, layered hills, and lush bamboo groves. He sometimes lamented that Yuwen Kai had died too young; otherwise, their collaboration—one designing the pavilions, the other creating the landscape—would have been perfect. More often, this skilled water conservancy engineer would dream of marrying the Xia emperor. But that was far too distant; it was better to enjoy his present life.
He was not a heartless person and was willing to take care of his elder brother's two young children. However, he was lazy by nature and did not like to argue, so he allowed Changsun Wuji and Changsun Qingjing to live in Gao Shilian's house for many years.
He deeply resented Husi Zheng's overreaction. With Yang Xuangan's death and the burning of the letters, the entire scheme of collusion between inside and outside should have been resolved. Which aristocratic family or meritorious noble hadn't made multiple bets? Yet this man was so impatient.
The capital is now engulfed in bloodshed. The former Minister of War's escape to Goguryeo has far-reaching implications and has become a laughing stock. The emperor, harboring resentment, is determined to eliminate all of his former protégés and associates. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are also working diligently, arresting and convicting people across the country, leaving no one unpunished.
The fact that Gao Shilian, the official in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was on good terms with Hu Sizheng could not be concealed. Exile and imprisonment were inevitable, and a huge social circle of people from the Kanto region would be wiped out.
Recently, in the dead of night, Changsun Chang has been dreaming of his father, Changsun Si, and his two elder brothers, Changsun Chi and Changsun Sheng, standing menacingly before his bed, without uttering a word.
When he awoke, he realized that he had not been unfilial or disrespectful to his elders; the only thing he had overlooked was the Goose King's two children.
So he sent someone to the Gao residence to inquire about the court's handling of Gao Shilian. The person on the other end was quite indifferent. He only said that Changsun Wuji insisted on staying with his uncle, and Gao Shilian was preparing to sell the family mansion. In the midst of chaos, he didn't know what to do with his elderly mother, wife, sister, and two children.
Changsun Chang had no choice but to personally take his only niece, Changsun Qingjing, whom he could persuade, back to his own residence, and discuss the rest later.
"Your uncle and I were afraid of harming you, so we placed you in a safe place," he explained.
Of course, he had another worry in his heart: what if some busybody told the emperor that Changsun Qingjing was the daughter of Gao Shilian, and that she was both talented and beautiful? It would be very bad if this orphaned girl were inexplicably summoned to the palace. At that time, his father and brothers would probably be glaring at him not only in their dreams.
Changsun Qingjing was new to the area, so he didn't ask how his family would settle him after everything was settled. He simply listened quietly as his uncle arranged for him to stay.
She spent several days figuring out the exact location of the courtyard gate and walls.
Everyone in the household thought she was depressed, so they let her wander around as she pleased, and did not interfere as long as she did not go out.
Changsun Chang didn't take it seriously, thinking that any intelligent person would be interested in his uniquely designed house, and his clever niece was no exception.
For several days, Changsun Chang tried hard to recall whether Changsun Qingjing was engaged or not, vaguely remembering that his two elder brothers had discussed a marriage in private. However, he couldn't remember clearly which family the groom was from. He thought of asking Gao Shilian, but felt it was inappropriate.
Alas! Although marrying this child off would be the safest way to protect her, the memory of Hu Sizheng being reduced to ashes is still fresh. What fool would be willing to happily marry the niece of Gao Shilian, who was implicated and exiled?
Guilt overwhelmed him again, and he resolved to raise Changsun Qingjing well, so that busybodies would forget that she had once been adopted by the Gao family of Bohai, and that she could find a suitable husband from a high-ranking family as a noblewoman of the Changsun family of Luoyang.
On a winter afternoon, the Junior Supervisor of Crafts was studying a stack of maps on how to bring water into Fenyang Palace when his wife, Lady Xue, suddenly told him that she had welcomed an interesting guest and even more delightful news.
"I won't interfere in the affairs between you women. You can entertain me as you see fit. I'll be leaving the capital with His Majesty soon and will be very busy." Lately, he's grown tired of these ordinary interactions between relatives and felt drowsy, not even deigning to offer a perfunctory response.
Madam Xue said with a smile, "It's not quite what you think. These two siblings just came from the new residence of the Gao family in Chongde Lane. They came specifically to greet the Junior Supervisor of the Craftsmen and his niece."
Changsun Chang peeked out from between the blueprints: "What does this mean?"
"Haven't you been overthinking Qingjing's marriage these past few days? Your nightmares are filled with your father and brothers' anger, and you haven't been able to eat or drink..."
Changsun Chang glanced at Xue Shi awkwardly and retorted weakly, "I didn't have a nightmare, don't talk nonsense!"
"Calm down," Madam Xue said, leaning closer to him. "I've figured it out today. Li Si Niang's younger brother, the second son of Duke Tang, Li Shude, is the son-in-law chosen by your brother Ji Sheng! It's absolutely true. The engagement you can't remember at all, they do."
“Jokes between fathers don’t count,” Changsun Chang said, frowning. “Don’t make baseless accusations. If you keep making a scene, it’ll only embarrass both families. Since the Yang Xuangan Rebellion, Tang Gong has been highly regarded by His Majesty, pacifying Longyou and making great contributions. He’s currently very powerful and on the verge of a meteoric rise. Gao Shilian, on the other hand, has been demoted to Zhu Yuan’s registrar and ordered to leave the capital within a few days. He’s as destitute as a stray dog. Even if the niece and uncle have different surnames and there’s no connection, the Li family is still aware of the need to avoid suspicion. Why would they come forward to acknowledge the marriage agreement on their own?”
Madam Xue retorted, "Believe it or not. Your sister-in-law, Li Si Niang, has been quite frank with me about the marriage agreement. Do you think she's joking? I recall your second brother, Zhong Guang, praising Lady Tang as a wise and extraordinary woman. It seems his family is just like that, doing things in an unconventional way. The siblings have come here today only to confirm Qing Jing's well-being. Judging from your sister-in-law's tone, the Gao family has most likely already agreed to the marriage, but they dare not act on their own and still want to hear the opinions of the elders of the Changsun family..."
"Really?" Changsun Chang was filled with mixed feelings of joy and worry. He was happy that the Li family was kind and righteous, but worried about his niece's unfortunate fate and whether she could gain a foothold in her husband's family in the future. He was happy that the young man was willing to marry this unfortunate girl with his righteousness and courage, but worried about whether his impulsive act could bring about a long and harmonious marriage.
“Since we have already visited Mr. Gao and discussed the engagement from years ago, I should naturally accompany you to receive the guest.” Changsun Chang did not dare to claim himself as the sole guardian, and was even quite uneasy about the upbringing of his niece. This young man was both a relative by marriage and approved by Gao Shilian, making him the best choice at this stage. He should receive him with neither arrogance nor obsequiousness. He could neither scare him away with his haughtiness nor be too eager to achieve his goal through flattery.
Madam Xue kept rambling on, "I think it's best if I take Fourth Sister to meet Qingjing first. Then, let the two children meet him."
Changsun Chang couldn't help but sneer: "You women judge young men based on nothing but looks!"
"Where would I only look at his face?" Madam Xue retorted with a smile. "I clearly also listened to his speech and looked at his figure. He's not as superficial as you say!"
The couple invited the Li siblings into the main hall. As soon as the host and guests finished exchanging greetings, a disheveled maid ran up to her master, shouting loudly.
"My lord, my wife, the young lady of the Ji family has gone missing!"
Immediately afterwards, a disheveled young servant was dragged before Changsun Chang, crying out his innocence: "My lord, I know nothing. I was just being pruned when someone hit me from behind, making me dizzy. When I woke up, my turban and robe were gone." The man clutched the wound on the back of his head, still shaken.
“My lord, but someone clearly saw him sneaking out of the mansion just now,” a servant interrupted.
"You're talking nonsense!" The dizzy gardener, holding a silver plate from the Western Kingdom, pointed to the bloodstains on it and cried out to Changsun Chang, "Everything I said is true. There must be a thief in the family who stole the money and framed me."
Changsun Chang disregarded the fact that his beloved Haixi Ancient Silver Plate had been used as a murder weapon, and that the entwined grape branches and the relief of the handsome young man with shaved hair and long robe in the middle of the plate had been distorted. He only wanted to cover everyone's mouths!
His spirits plummeted from the clouds of hope to the depths of near despair. He rubbed his forehead desperately, trying to come up with a plausible explanation, but to no avail. Through the gaps between his fingers supporting his forehead, he saw Li Shimin in the guest seat, his face filled with astonishment and bewilderment, before he lowered his head in deep thought, unconsciously clenching his fists. Changsun Chang guessed that the young man had already pieced together all the details into a complete story in his mind.
That's ridiculous!
Changsun Chang speculated that in the young man's mind, his fiancée (let's assume that for now) was involved in a treason case yet showed no restraint, treating innocent servants cruelly, and then parading around in public—all her actions were outrageous. Her silence might be a sign that she was reconsidering whether her family could accept such an eccentric and strangely behaving girl.
"Have you thoroughly searched every courtyard?" Changsun Chang tried to find an excuse for his niece's escape. "Is it because you lazy servants are up to no good, shirking your duties and trying to pin it on the mistress? Perhaps she just wanted a quiet place to study! Summon all the maids who serve the mistress and interrogate them carefully. Also, thoroughly search the entire mansion!"
Li Longyue and Madam Xue exchanged glances, unsure whether to offer comfort or help with the search. She simply felt that the sweetheart her younger brother had praised to their parents yesterday was somewhat unworthy of the description, and at the very least, she didn't seem like a dignified, composed, and cautious young lady.
Li Shimin's face turned purple, making it impossible to tell whether it was from shame and anger or worry. He twitched his lips and bowed to Changsun Chang and Madam Xue: "Director of the Craftsmen's Office, Madam Xue, my elder sister and I have troubled you a lot. We shall take our leave today and visit you another day to seek your guidance."
He didn't give the other party a chance to stay, and then pulled Li Longyue away.
In short, things were back to square one, or even worse. A fallen noblewoman, oblivious to her own worth, squandered her only chance to maintain her status. Changsun Chang picked up his treasured antique silver plate; a slightly distorted figure held a wine cup, staring at him with a mocking expression. He raised the plate high and slammed it to the floor, venting his rage.
"What are you all standing there for! Find a way to bring your wife home. Be careful and don't tell anyone. Just say that a young gardener has gone missing." He slumped down beside the table, his face pale.
Madam Xue carefully picked up the silver plate and said softly, "I personally searched every courtyard again, and Qingjing is indeed not in the mansion. Where do you think she might have gone? The Gao residence?"
Changsun Chang shook his head: "This child doesn't seem particularly stubborn. If she insisted on staying with her uncle, she wouldn't have left the Gao family with me so readily. Gao Shilian and my sister-in-law also said that she has always been well-behaved and sensible, so I didn't take any precautions."
"Perhaps we've made a mistake. I'll have someone search the entire manor again!" Madam Xue found it hard to believe that such a gentle girl could act so decisively and ruthlessly.
"No need to look anymore, she is the Goose King's biological daughter."
Why are you bringing up your third brother again?
"When Goose King was a little older than her, he boasted to me that he was going to visit Ye City in the State of Qi and then return via the Turks. The brothers just laughed at him..."
"And then what?"
"Then he vanished for several months. I don't know how he managed to cross numerous passes and the borders of three countries all by himself. When he returned, he was riding a Turkic horse, wearing a brocade robe with a beaded pattern, looking quite imposing! Fearing that my mother would beat him to death, he even brought back a thin, translucent piece of Ye silk as an apology, which made my mother both cry and laugh. He gave the iron sword and the horn bow to Zhongguang and me. He also distributed Turkic gold, turquoise, agate, and amber to the other relatives and friends... To this day, I still don't understand how he survived and brought so many interesting things to us."
Madam Xue glanced subconsciously at the largest agate piece on the necklace around her neck: "It does look like your third brother's style of doing things."
"Could it be Yongxingli?" Madam Xue asked repeatedly.
"How could that be!" Changsun Chang sneered. "Don't mention that good-for-nothing An Ye to me! It gives me a headache!"
After a moment of silence, Changsun Chang finally spoke: "Let's go to the Gao family and ask if Gao Shilian and my stubborn nephew are still in the capital. It would be a sin to frighten the old lady of the Gao family."
Changsun Chang rolled his eyes at his wife's unrealistic fantasies: "The Li family's silence, their refusal to tell outsiders that my daughter is unconventional, makes them virtuous gentlemen. You should be secretly pleased. What else do you want? We'll have all the proper wedding rites, a grand wedding with drums and gongs!"
He picked up his beloved foreign antique, staring at the bloodstains on it, when suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over him. Looking at the ghee and cheese offered by the maid, Changsun Chang felt a wave of nausea.
"Tell the cooks not to drink any of these sweet and greasy things for the next seven days. Prepare some Uncaria rhynchophylla and Gastrodia elata decoction and celery juice for me..." He sat cross-legged on the floor, smiling wryly, "Goose King, oh Goose King, how come your little daughter is so much like you?"
A note from the author:
Haha, I want to see your expressions.
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