The Past of Jiang Mansion (1)
...
When Xiao Zhouyan woke up, there was no one beside him.
The sky outside the window was already bright; the wedding candles had burned out, leaving only a few wisps of smoke. The peanuts and longans scattered on the bright red wedding quilt remained exactly as they had been the night before, as if the person who should have been lying there had never existed.
"Qingyao?" His voice was still hoarse from a hangover, but no one answered.
Xiao Zhouyan sat up abruptly, a sharp pain shooting through his forehead. The wine at the wedding banquet last night seemed unusually strong; even a seasoned veteran like him was completely drunk.
He looked around; the red candles in the bridal chamber had long since burned out, the wedding curtains were lowered, but the bride was nowhere to be seen.
A letter lay on a table not far away, its plain white envelope standing out starkly against the festive red hues of the room. Xiao Zhouyan snatched the letter; its neat yet slightly hurried handwriting revealed:
General:
As Qingyao wrote this letter, her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. Our marriage was arranged by the Emperor, and Qingyao did not want to put her father and brothers in a difficult position. Although she did not oppose the marriage, she had quite a few complaints about the General's unauthorized decision.
The general had shown the Xu family much kindness, for which Qingyao was deeply grateful. However, this political marriage was not based on genuine affection. A marriage without love is like a rootless duckweed, unlikely to last. After much deliberation, Qingyao decided to leave.
I have already informed my father and brothers of my return visit two days from now, so it will not tarnish the General's reputation. Qingyao's only wish in this life is to live freely, not as a caged sparrow. Last night I slipped a calming agent into your wine; I hope you will not be offended.
Qingyao Liu
There was a silk handkerchief pressed under the letter, stained with a few dark red spots, like bloodstains.
The letter slipped from Xiao Zhouyan's fingers. He stared at the plain paper on the ground, as if trying to see through it.
"Acting on your own initiative?" he muttered to himself, somewhat heartbroken. "You were the one who provoked me first..."
“General!” Wei Yi’s voice rang out from outside the door, “It’s getting late, it’s time to go to the palace to express our gratitude.”
Xiao Zhouyan flung open the door, startling Wei Yi so much that he took three steps back. His general, dressed only in his undergarments, had eyes that seemed to flash with the glint of swords: "Where has the madam gone?"
Wei's face turned deathly pale: "I...I didn't know...Last night the general ordered everyone to just drink..."
Xiao Zhouyan kicked over the low table next to him, shattering the tea set on the floor.
He had indeed given such an order last night—to let his personal guards drink to their hearts' content on his wedding day. But he hadn't expected that these men, usually as vigilant as wolves, would actually get drunk until dawn.
"Find her!" Xiao Zhouyan slammed his fist on the door frame. "She shouldn't have gone far since last night."
"General, should we lock up and interrogate all the women who came with the Duke's family as part of the dowry?" Wei Yi asked cautiously.
"No need."
Xiao Zhouyan calmed down.
If she's determined to elope, she won't tell anyone.
"Summon everyone immediately. I need to know the whereabouts of the Madam within half a quarter of an hour." Xiao Zhouyan gave the order while quickly getting dressed.
What political marriage! What loveless marriage!
Who was it that said she wanted to marry him back then?!
Who was it that took the knife for him?!
Even if the Heavenly Prince were to come, it would still be a case of mutual affection!
Half an hour later.
"General! There's news from the post station ahead!" Wei Yi rushed over on horseback. "This morning, a young lady rented a carriage and headed south!"
"Chase!" Xiao Zhouyan strode towards the stable.
“General, we still need to go to the palace to express our gratitude today…” Wei Yi hesitated.
Xiao Zhouyan sneered: "My wife has already run away, what are you thanking me for?"
He mounted his horse, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to the bridal chamber. He pulled a jade pendant from under his pillow—the one Xu Qingyao had worn the night before, now left on the bed. The back of the pendant was engraved with strange patterns, like some kind of ancient runes.
That year, amidst a blizzard, they huddled together in a small cave. She had taught him some characters, and he recognized the word "freedom" on the jade pendant.
"General, Eunuch Su is outside the mansion..." Wei San reminded him again, not wanting the general to be impeached later.
"Wei Yi, take a few men and bring the lady back." Xiao Zhouyan suddenly reined in his horse and turned around. "Wei San, call Wei Er and come with me."
*
In front of the Taiji Hall.
The carriage stopped outside Danfeng Gate. Xiao Zhouyan got out first and turned to reach out to help Xu Qingyao. She hesitated for a moment, but finally placed her hand gently in his palm, using it for support.
"Your subject Xiao Zhouyan, along with his wife Xu, respectfully inquire after Your Majesty's well-being."
The guards stood solemnly before the palace, and the vermilion palace gates opened one after another.
Xu Qingyao lowered her eyes and walked with composure, only the slightly clenched fingertips in her sleeve betrayed a hint of tension.
"Your Majesty, I kowtow to express my gratitude for the marriage you have bestowed upon me."
The two bowed in unison. Xiao Zhouyan's voice was steady and powerful, while Xu Qingyao's voice was clear and melodious.
The emperor sat high on his dragon throne, his gaze sweeping between the two women. After a long while, he smiled and said, "I am very pleased that Minister Xiao has found such a fine wife."
"Your Majesty's kindness is something I will never forget." Xiao Zhouyan bowed again.
Xu Qingyao also bowed gracefully, her hair ornaments swaying gently, reflecting the candlelight in the hall and creating a shimmering golden glow.
The emperor suddenly asked, "Xu, I've heard that you've always been frail. Are you adapting well to life in the General's Mansion?"
Xu Qingyao raised her head, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Your Majesty, the General has treated me extremely well, and everyone in the household has taken great care of me. I am deeply grateful."
Her smile was just right, neither obsequious nor disrespectful, as if she were truly a newlywed immersed in happiness.
*
Wei Yi led the group at breakneck speed and finally caught up with the carriage before sunset.
He flung open the carriage curtain, only to be met with a terrified, unfamiliar face—not Xu Qingyao.
"General, please forgive me!" the coachman pleaded, kneeling on the ground. "That young lady gave me ten taels of silver and told me to head south..."
They've fallen for their trap!
"Two men go south, the rest scatter in other directions." Wei Yi mounted his horse. "I'll go report to the general."
*
Xu Qingyao pulled the headscarf down even further, making sure it covered most of her face.
Her coarse cloth robe reeked of mutton, and the cuffs were stained with unknown dirt, a stark contrast to the fine silks and satins she usually wore. But at this moment, this attire was her only protection.
"Aqing, hand me the water bag," Ayiguli, a genuine female merchant from the Hu tribe in the caravan, called out to her.
Xu Qingyao—now called "Aqing"—quickly took the water pouch from her waist and handed it over.
Her hands were fair and delicate, a stark contrast to the women of the merchants around her who toiled year-round. Fortunately, her sleeves were long enough to conceal this obvious flaw.
The caravan was moving slowly along the official road, the wheels crunching over the gravel.
Xu Qingyao quietly raised her eyes. Not far ahead was the city gate, where the guards were checking passersby one by one.
Her heart suddenly raced, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her palms.
[Host, rest assured, the system has adjusted your appearance. To others, you are just an ordinary female relative of a foreign merchant.]
The system's voice sounded at the right time.
Xu Qingyao's tension eased somewhat.
At the city gate, soldiers stopped the caravan. Xu Qingyao felt her heart pounding in her chest. She heard the young merchant leader, Hu Shang, speaking fluent Mandarin and dealing with the soldiers, even handing them some documents.
“Sir, we are a merchant caravan from the Western Regions, carrying some spices and jade.” The young man’s voice was neither humble nor arrogant. “This is our travel document.”
The soldier glanced at the documents briefly, his gaze sweeping over the caravan members. When his eyes landed on Xu Qingyao, she instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes.
In an instant, the soldier looked away, but still refused to let them pass easily.
The young merchant from the Hu secretly slipped a small piece of silver into his hand. The soldier weighed it in his hand, then finally waved for him to pass.
The caravan slowly passed through the city gate, and Xu Qingyao breathed a long sigh of relief.
*
Xu Qingyao entered Liangzhou City with the caravan at dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the rammed earth city walls, turning the entire city into a dark gold.
The plaque hanging high above the city gate bears the two powerful characters "Liangzhou," but the edges have become somewhat blurred due to wind and sand erosion.
The soldiers on the city wall, clad in armor and wielding halberds, scanned the pedestrians entering the city with eyes as sharp as hawks.
"Aqing, don't just stand there, keep up!" Ayiguli tugged at her sleeve and whispered a reminder.
Xu Qingyao withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and quickened her pace. Her current identity was "Aqing," a female relative of a merchant from the Western Regions in the caravan. Dressed in coarse cloth, with a headscarf covering her face, she blended in seamlessly among the group of Western Region merchants.
The streets of Liangzhou were far more bustling than she had imagined.
On the main street paved with bluestone slabs, the sounds of camel bells, shouts, and horses' hooves mingled together. Shops lined both sides, including Western Region taverns with banners proclaiming "Hu Ji serving wine" and shops filled with silk from the Central Plains.
At the street corner, several Sogdian merchants were haggling in Persian, while Tibetan warriors stood by with their arms crossed, watching indifferently.
"The people here..." Xu Qingyao was secretly shocked, "are even more mixed than those in the West Market of Chang'an."
"Liangzhou is the throat of the Hexi Corridor. Merchants from the Western Regions, Tibetan caravans, Hui envoys, and even spice merchants from the Abbasid Caliphate all had to pass through here."
The young Hu merchant leading the group, Saiyide, seemed to notice her surprise and explained in a low voice, "I heard that this governor of Liangzhou just took office a month ago. The previous governor of Liangzhou was executed by the imperial envoy for corruption and abuse of power..."
"Therefore, you have to be careful what you say and do here. Who knows who's backing whom?"
Xu Qingyao nodded silently.
The caravan stopped at an inn in the south of the city. The inn was called "Hu Yang Ju" and was a place where merchants from the Western Regions often stayed. The owner was a Sogdian with a high nose and deep-set eyes who could speak fluent Mandarin.
"Three superior rooms, and some hot water as well." Said handed over a few silver coins with practiced ease.
The shopkeeper accepted the money with a smile, his gaze lingering on Xu Qingyao for a moment before casually looking away.
"Aqing, go and rest first, and come out later." Ayiguli nudged her. "Don't wander around. Liangzhou City is not like Chang'an; it's not safe at night."
Xu Qingyao nodded in agreement and went into the room alone.
After closing the door, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, took off her headscarf, and revealed a pretty but slightly tired face.
She walked to the bronze mirror and examined herself in the dim candlelight—her skin tone had been adjusted by the system to be slightly yellow, and her eyebrows and eyes were slightly darker, making her look like an ordinary female relative of a merchant from the Hu region.
"System, detect the surrounding environment," she silently instructed herself.
[The host is currently in a relatively safe area, but there are still imperial spies within Liangzhou City. Caution is advised.]
Xu Qingyao pursed her lips.
She had been out of the capital for more than half a month, and with the help of caravans, she finally arrived in Liangzhou safely.
She sat down and poured herself a glass of water: "The newly appointed governor... must be one of my elder brother's men."
The newly appointed governor of Liangzhou is named Wei Yan, a member of the Wei clan of Longxi, who is related to the Jiang family by marriage*.
"The Jiang family? Isn't that..."
Yes, the host's mother, the maternal family of "Jiang Wanxin".
She seemed to have guessed her older brother's intentions.
"System, what else do you know?"
[Searching... Wei Yan, currently the Governor of Liangzhou, was formerly a Principal Officer in the Ministry of War. He was recommended for the post a month ago by Xu Zhiyuan, the Minister of Personnel. He has good relations with many powerful figures in the court, especially Xu Zhiyuan*.]
"Does the asterisk mean... that other people don't know about this relationship?" Xu Qingyao tapped the table lightly with her finger.
【……Yes. 】
"Anything else? Is that all?"
To escape the scourge of mountain bandits, the Jiang family moved to Liangzhou and, with their business acumen, quickly became wealthy merchants in the Northwest.
Twenty-eight years ago, Longxi suffered a severe drought.
Ten-year-old Wei Yan accompanied his father to Liangzhou for business, but they were attacked by bandits on the way. His father was brutally killed, but Wei Yan was rescued by the passing Jiang family caravan—his rescuer was none other than Jiang Wanxin.
She not only saved Wei Yan, but also took him back to the Jiang family to recover from his injuries. Wei Yan stayed at the Jiang family for half a year, spending time with Jiang Wanxin's younger sister, Jiang Wanrou, and feelings began to develop between them.
Later, the Wei and Jiang families became related by marriage, with Wei Yan marrying Jiang Wanrou, further strengthening the relationship between the two families.
Seeing Xu Qingyao staring at the empty water glass in her hand, remaining silent for a long time.
[Host, Liangzhou City is also where your mother once lived. Would you like to stay a few more days?]
"Has Xiao Zhouyan... come looking for us?"
Xu Qingyao's voice was very soft.
[Detection in progress... Currently, "Xiao Zhouyan" has divided his Shadow Guards into three groups, one of which is already heading towards Liangzhou.]
"How long will it take them to get here?"
She had to hurry to avoid running into those people.
[One week.]
"good."
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