Chapter 81 Escaping Cangfeng Courtyard
When Shanhe and his party returned to Cangfeng Courtyard, they found it pitch black all around, with only a single lamp flickering in Miao'er's room. Because it was a day of visiting relatives, Shanhe had asked Liang Ye for a day off, so only Chengmin, Cheng'an, and Qingyue accompanied them.
The three of them alighted from the carriage. Cheng An, tired from driving, returned to the courtyard for a bowl of tea. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw the light on in Miao'er's room and asked in a puzzled tone, "Didn't Miao'er go out with them?"
Miao'er rushed out, looking a little flustered: "I...I came back this afternoon to check on the house."
Cheng An still had doubts in his heart, after all, Miao'er was not the type to endure loneliness, but he didn't say anything, nodded, and went back to his room to pour tea and rest.
Seeing Cheng'an enter the room, Shanhe quietly asked Miao'er, "Is everything alright? Can we leave now?"
Miao'er nodded, then frowned and looked towards Cheng'an's house.
"It's alright. He'll leave now."
Hearing this, Miao'er was slightly relieved. She lowered her voice and said, "Wen Deng is still in the main room."
Shanhe immediately understood her meaning. She called out to Qingyue and Miao'er to boil water for a bath, and then went back to the main room alone.
Wen Deng was dragging a female corpse and carefully placing it in front of the dressing table. Suddenly, she saw a figure moving behind the beaded curtain. Wen Deng was so startled that her back stiffened. She hurriedly looked up and saw Shan He standing at the door. She then breathed a long sigh of relief.
Three female corpses were scattered in the main house. They had been dragged from a mass grave and hidden on a cart three days prior, and were now beginning to decompose.
Shanhe closed the door, exchanged a glance with Wendeng, and the two nodded in acknowledgment.
Cheng An's voice rang out again from outside: "My lady, I'll go back to the manor to serve you first. Please rest early."
Shanhe came out carrying her nightgown and stood under the eaves. She smiled at Cheng'an and said, "Cheng'an, thank you for bringing me back. Today is Her Majesty's special day. Please enjoy yourselves. The maids and I have prepared a hangover soup and will wait here for you and Master to return."
Upon hearing this, Cheng An grinned and said, "That's great!" With that, he turned and went out.
Miao'er immediately jogged after him, and only turned back after Cheng'an's carriage disappeared at the end of the alley. Inside the courtyard, Shanhe and Qingyue, each carrying a deflated bundle, stood waiting in the main room, but Wen Deng was nowhere to be seen.
Six plain candles were lit in the room, their flickering light casting ghostly shadows on the various pieces of furniture.
Miao'er walked in and stood beside Shanhe: "Cheng'an is gone."
Shanhe pursed her lips: "Where are the others?"
"Don't worry." Miao'er raised her eyes. "The feast that Madam booked at the Secret Pavilion, how could they bear to come back early?"
So Shanhe picked up two candlesticks and handed them to Miao'er, then picked up two more and handed them to Qingyue, and finally took the remaining two for herself.
The large main room was now only illuminated by six plain candles, as dark as the underworld. Shanhe looked around the room, her heart churning with indescribable emotions. Unconsciously, she had lived here for several months, and almost every corner of this room held traces of her, and also of Liang Ye.
She stubbornly resisted Liang Ye, ultimately ending up covered in bruises.
As she gradually submitted, he became increasingly unhappy inside.
She endured and pretended to live a peaceful life with him, and he treated her better and better.
This is a place that torments and corrupts people, a place that grinds down one's bones.
Shanhe knew she had to leave, she absolutely had to leave, otherwise, once Liang Ye had completely worn her down, she wouldn't be able to escape even if she wanted to.
Shanhe glanced at the room one last time, then resolutely turned away, throwing the candlestick into the carved canopy bed that had confined her for days and nights. In an instant, flames shot up, the tongues of fire biting at the hanging curtains, devouring them bit by bit. The delicately embroidered mandarin ducks and lotus blossoms on the curtains gradually turned to ashes in the firelight.
Amidst the raging flames, Shanhe vaguely saw herself being pinned down by Liang Ye, gritting her teeth and shedding tears as she endured his relentless assault.
She was startled and fell to the ground, her fingertips touching the already decomposing female corpse.
Beauty, bones. Intertwined on the bed were two living people, yet also two eerie skeletons. Shanhe trembled with fear.
Qingyue and Miao'er quickly helped Shanhe up. Qingyue said, "Wife, you go and wait for us in the carriage! Miao'er and I are going to burn this filthy place to the ground!"
Shanhe nodded, said "Be careful," and staggered out. She couldn't bear to look any longer. The fire was burning the house, but every part of it seemed to contain her, as if it were burning her, burning away the half-year she had wasted in boredom after her divorce. For a moment, Shanhe felt the fireball rolling over her flesh, hissing and melting, dripping oil onto the brick floor. In the end, she would become a skeleton. A person is, in essence, just a skeleton.
She ran out, stood under the eaves, clutched her chest to calm herself, and looked up, only to find a person standing in the very center of the courtyard.
He Niang picked up a knife and silently looked at Shan He. She saw the flickering flames in the main room and the bundle on Shan He's body. She approached step by step, her voice as still as calm water: "Sister Shan He, where are you going?"
A chilling glint emanated from the sharp blade as He Niang drew ever closer. Her face was grim and expressionless, as if she had descended from hell.
Shanhe froze. She remembered that He Niang loved Liang Ye, and had always loved him. So Shanhe quickly said, "He Niang, I have to go. Please let me go, okay? Don't tell Liang Ye. Just say I'm dead, that I died in the fire. From now on, he will forget me. He will only have you by his side!"
He Niang smiled sinisterly: "Then why don't you really go and die?"
Shanhe was struck dumb. Before she could react, He Niang had already rushed over with a knife, the iron blade pointed at Shanhe's face. He Niang cried and shouted, "Sister Shanhe, please, just die! Only when you're dead can I truly be myself! My name is Zhenniang, not He Niang! Sister Shanhe, please... you're such a good person, just do me a favor, please really die..."
Shanhe braced her hands against He Niang's wrists and said with difficulty, "He Niang! I'm leaving now, and I'll never come back here! Liang Ye will only have you by his side!"
He Niang cried out, "He can find out! He's from the Dali Temple. How could he not find out you faked your death? Sister, please, just die... That way he'll remember you for the rest of his life, and I can be myself again... Sister, I want him to like Zhen Niang, I don't want him to like He Niang..."
Qingyue and Miao'er rushed out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing He Niang slashing at Shanhe like a madwoman, the two were greatly alarmed and hurriedly ran over to help Shanhe block the knife in He Niang's hand.
Miao'er snatched the knife away and tossed it aside. He Niang was also restrained by the three of them and pinned to the ground.
Tears streamed down her face as she murmured, "Sister Shanhe, I'm sorry, please... Please grant my wish. Only if you really die can I find peace... What will I do if he finds you again someday..."
Enraged, Shanhe pressed down on He Niang, tears streaming down her face. "He Niang, how could you be so foolish! Didn't you see what kind of person he is? If he were truly good, why would I have gone to such lengths to escape him? Didn't you see him beat Qingyue? He pressures me at every turn, is suspicious of me at every turn, and treats human life like dirt. Liang Ye is a cold-hearted, selfish bastard. He only cares about himself. What's so good about him? Why would you be willing to kill someone just to win his favor?"
Hearing these words, He Niang lay prostrate on the ground, gradually becoming still. She could only weep, her voice no longer as agitated as before: "I know...I know...but he saved me! He pulled my sister and me out of Pingkangfang! He redeemed me from my lowly status, giving me a place to stand now..."
Shanhe and the others slowly loosened their grip, watching the fifteen-year-old girl, just coming of age, lying on her side on the ground, sobbing. The three exchanged glances, and Shanhe patted He Niang's back, saying softly, "He Niang, I understand your feelings. You were not even fifteen then, and he was such a person, outstanding in both talent and appearance, and always impeccably clean, never flirting with other women. He made an exception for you sisters; it was the first time a girl from Pingkang Lane had been by his side, and he changed his name just for you. It's understandable that you like him. He Niang, don't worry, I'm leaving tonight and won't come back."
He Niang stared blankly, her gaze unfocused: "What if he finds out you're not really dead, and then he goes looking for you?"
"No, no," Shanhe comforted him. "Even if he came looking for me, it would have been a long time ago, and his feelings for me would have faded long ago. Besides, he's going to get married, and how could his wife allow someone as lowly as me to exist?"
Shanhe quietly gestured to Miao'er, telling her to stand guard at the door.
The fire in the main house was growing bigger and bigger, almost leaping out of the wooden windows. The flickering flames reflected on the faces of Shanhe, Qingyue, and He Niang.
Shanhe tried her best to suppress her anxiety. She tucked the stray hairs that were stuck to Miao'er's cheek behind her ear and said softly, "He Niang, if he really finds out that I faked my death, then before he finds me, you must take my place in his heart, okay? He Niang, he is actually a little pitiful, so you must treat him well and put him first in everything. He is also very controlling, so you must be obedient. Resisting will only make you suffer... Talk to him every day, just talk about ordinary things, let him feel your thoughtfulness and meticulousness, that's enough."
He Niang covered her face with both hands, tears streaming through her fingers, and choked out a soft "hmm".
"Then we're leaving," Shanhe said softly. "Take care."
He Niang choked back a sob and hummed in agreement.
Shanhe and Qingyue exchanged a glance, and then quickly helped each other to their feet.
Flames had breached the walls, leaping menacingly from the doors and windows. A wave of heat washed over them, making Shanhe and Qingyue's faces burn. Shanhe, watching the flames grow ever larger, felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly said, "He Niang, you must leave! The fire is too big!"
After saying that, she took Qingyue's hand and they ran out the door together.
With just that one sentence, He Niang knew that she could never be Xue Shanhe, and she would never win Liang Ye's heart.
Behind them, they could hear the sounds of massive objects crashing to the ground, one after another. Shanhe and Qingyue were only focused on running forward when suddenly a cry rang out, as if for help: "Sister Shanhe! Sister Qingyue!" It was extremely shrill.
Shanhe and Qingyue couldn't help but turn around, only to see He Niang running towards them with a knife in hand. Behind her, flames roared and thick smoke billowed, making her look like a demon.
He Niang's eyes widened in fury as she cried out, "Sister Shanhe—"
"You should just die!"
She raised her hand, held the knife, and slashed down at Shanhe.
Qingyue quickly stepped in front of Shanhe.
The knife struck Qingyue squarely in the shoulder.
"Qingyue!" Shanhe cried out.
Miao'er and Wen Deng, who had been waiting impatiently for a long time, ran over together and saw Qingyue with a knife wound on her body, collapsing onto Shanhe.
Wen Deng rushed over and kicked He Niang away, the knife falling to the ground with a clatter along with He Niang.
Shanhe was in tears. She held Qingyue under her arms and kept calling Qingyue's name.
Wen Deng hurriedly bent down, hoisted Qingyue onto his back, supported her legs with both hands, and ran quickly out. Shan He and Miao Er protected them, supporting Qingyue's back, and ran together towards the door.
The house was on fire, thick smoke billowing from it. He Niang lay on the ground, coughing incessantly from the smoke in the courtyard. Beside her lay the knife, still stained with Qingyue's blood. He Niang wiped the blood splattered on her face. What a pity, what a pity, she hadn't killed Xue Shanhe.
She began to sob. Why couldn't Xue Shanhe really die? She really, really didn't want to be anyone's substitute anymore. He Niang felt disheartened again.
The Cangfeng Courtyard, comprised of several rooms, was now half-submerged in flames. From a distance, it resembled a hellish abyss that devoured everything. The moon gate was the gate to hell itself. Beyond it, the fires of hell gnawed at flesh and refined bones.
Shanhe and the others escaped through the gates of hell, while He Niang lay in hell, weeping uncontrollably.
He Niang opened her tear-filled eyes, struggled to get up, and suddenly noticed a person standing between the moon gate and the doorway. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Huai Song!
Huaisong approached steadily, carrying a bucket of water. He wrung out a cloth from the water and knelt down to wipe away the blood bit by bit. He Niang was stunned. She didn't know why Huaisong was there, let alone why he was helping her.
Huai Song lifted his eyelids slightly, his voice cold and sharp: "If you want my favor, I'll help you."
He Niang shuddered.
Huai Song smiled calmly: "If you want Xue Shanhe to never come back, I'll help you."
He Niang asked in a trembling voice, "Then...and what about you?"
“You don’t need to worry about me.” Huai Song lowered his head and continued wiping the blood-stained floor tiles. “Just do as I say.”
Outside the courtyard gate, the sounds of servants from the Shi family shouting "Start the fire!" could be heard from afar as they approached.
*
Shanhe and the others hurriedly boarded the carriage and, following the lanterns, traveled several miles away.
Three coarse linen cloaks were prepared inside the carriage, but there were no bandages or medicine. Shanhe gritted her teeth, tore the pale yellow satin jacket with gold cloud patterns that Liang Ye had specially prepared for her into strips, and wrapped them around Qingyue's neck, one by one.
When they were two intersections away from the city gate, Wen Deng reined in his horse and stopped. He lifted the curtain and said to Shan He, "Madam Xue, there is another carriage outside the city gate, which the ward master prepared in advance. Someone is waiting for you there. I must hurry back to the Shi residence and clean up those traces. Moreover, if they find that I have disappeared without reason, they may suspect that you are dead."
Shanhe nodded, and together with Miao'er, helped Qingyue out of the carriage. The three of them put on cloaks and hoods, and supported each other as they made their way to the city gate.
After walking about ten steps, a clatter of hooves rose from the city gate. The three hurriedly dodged, and billowing yellow dust filled their vision.
Zhuang Yizhao laughed from his horse's back: "General, once we reach the city, we can't just let ourselves run away like this!"
“I know!” Liang Shao turned his head to answer him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three women dressed in mourning clothes walking together, the one in the middle walking unsteadily, blood seeping from her cloak, as if she were injured. He felt a pang of pity, took out two silver ingots from his purse, and threw them into Zhuang Yizhao’s arms: “Those three seem to be injured, give them the money.”
Zhuang Yizhao took the silver and reined in his horse. Watching Liang Shaoyi's figure galloping forward towards the Great Yan Imperial Palace, he couldn't help but smile.
As Shanhe and his companions were about to reach the city gate, they were suddenly stopped by a man riding a tall horse and clad in gleaming silver armor. This man was imposing, carrying a long spear on his back, clearly a general.
Shanhe was startled, thinking she had been stopped by the city guards, and hurriedly explained, "My family lives outside the city, and I was accidentally injured..."
The soldier dismounted, led his horse closer, and placed three silver ingots—two large and one small—quietly in his palm. He handed them to Shanhe. Zhuang Yizhao smiled and said, "My general saw that you three weak women were pitiful and told you to take some money to buy medicine. That's the right thing to do."
Shanhe dared not accept it.
Zhuang Yizhao simply put the silver ingots on the ground, turned around and mounted his horse: "Don't worry! My general has helped countless people on his way back, and his own pockets are empty. He won't make a difference if you three come along!" He smiled at Shanhe and the others, and rode his horse into the city.
After walking for a short while, he seemed to remember something, turned around and asked loudly, "Little girl, which way is the Meng residence of Marquis Wenyang?"
Shanhe had just picked up the silver ingot and was holding it in her palm. Upon hearing this, she turned around and pointed south: "Go south, on Zhuque Avenue. Today is the Imperial Concubine's visit home, and there will be a fireworks display later. You can find it by following the light of the fireworks."
Zhuang Yizhao smiled and said, "Thank you!"
So Zhuang Yizhao rode his horse south, Shanhe put away the silver ingots, and together with Miao'er, they helped Qingyue to the city gate.
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