Chapter 218 - 217: Departure
Chen Li frowned and asked, "This Sun Huisou, what’s his relationship with the He Family? And what’s his connection to Ming’s Grain Shop in Mirror Mountain?"
Li Yuniang explained, "Sun Huisou is Governor He’s brother-in-law. When Governor He came to Liyang, he brought him here. Last year, the Commandery Magistrate’s Office required every county to form a Commerce Association to manage grain shipments, and the various families nominated him to be the head of the commandery’s Commerce Association.
As for Ming’s Grain Shop in Mirror Mountain, on the surface, it’s run by County Magistrate Tian’s brother-in-law. But County Magistrate Tian’s brother-in-law married Sun Huisou’s younger sister, so the two families are related by marriage. The true owner behind Ming’s Grain Shop is actually the He Family.
The He Family is convinced that the Zhou Family was behind the whole Mirror Mountain grain incident—the murder of County Magistrate Tian’s family and the theft of the grain. They believe the Zhou Family double-crossed them, stole their grain, then turned around and sold it back to them. They see it as an outrageous humiliation. That’s why they’ve allied with the Cao Family, the Liu Family, and the Textile Bureau to move against the Zhou Family."
Chen Li was surprised. He never imagined that the roots of the Zhou Family’s disaster were actually tied to him.
Still, the tangled web of relationships between these Noble Families made even Chen Li frown slightly.
He glanced at the devastated Zhou Shuwei and continued to ask, "Why did the Cao Family, the Liu Family, and the Textile Bureau get involved?"
Li Yuniang shook her head. "I am just a mistress; I really don’t know that much. I only vaguely heard He Zhangqiu mention that the seventeen thousand acres of land the Zhou Family owns in Ping County are apparently meant as compensation for the Cao Family. I don’t know anything else."
Chen Li’s gaze turned cold. "If it’s the He Family seeking revenge, why are you, a member of the Xiang Sect, so busy running around as their pawn?"
Li Yuniang said, "I am He Zhangqiu’s mistress. It’s my job to handle these unsavory matters for him. When the families divide the spoils, He Zhangqiu wants the Zhou Family’s Textile Workshop. Now that the Textile Bureau’s Official Tribute Silk has been shipped away, he’s naturally anxious to get his hands on the workshop as soon as possible."
Chen Li snorted coldly. With a mere thought, the Evil Suppressing Seal he had left deep within Li Yuniang’s Divine Sense suddenly activated.
PFFT!
Li Yuniang, as if struck by a heavy blow, spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face instantly turned ashen, and her eyes filled with terror.
"Tell me the truth! Why is the Xiang Sect involved? What are you plotting?"
Li Yuniang hurriedly added, "Senior, what I said is the truth! It was all arranged by the Sect. I really don’t know the intentions of the higher-ups. I only know that an Incense Attendant from the Sect is currently serving in the Textile Bureau. All the orders come from him. That’s really all I know."
Seeing that he couldn’t get any more valuable information out of her, Chen Li turned to the devastated Zhou Shuwei.
"Patriarch Zhou."
He began, "Now that the situation is clear, what... are your plans?"
A deeply bitter smile appeared on Zhou Shuwei’s face as she shook her head. "I ask for Patriarch Chen’s guidance."
’This situation would be better if it weren’t so clear.’
If it were just one or two ordinary Noble Families plotting against the Zhou Family, she might still have the courage to fight to the death for a slim chance of survival.
But now... the Governor, the Textile Bureau, the Cao Family, the Liu Family... a four-pronged alliance.
Any one of them alone was enough to push the Zhou Family into a desperate corner.
With the four of them united, she truly could not see any way out.
A deep sense of powerlessness and despair surged from the depths of her heart, as if she couldn’t see a single ray of light.
Chen Li looked at her, pondered for a moment, then gave his advice: "Pack your valuables and leave as soon as possible. Go to the He Niu Martial Arts Academy; you might be able to save your life there. As for your family fortune... ’as long as the green mountains are there, you’ll never have to worry about firewood.’"
Zhou Shuwei was silent for a long time, her eyes flashing with a struggle before finally settling into a dead stillness. "It seems that’s the only way."
After a moment of silence, she added in a low voice, "Uncle, back in the day, the only reason my Zhou Family was able to get the Official Tribute Contract from the Textile Bureau was because of an exclusive secret technique, Floating Light and Shadow. Right now, in the Textile Workshop, there are only ten master artisans left who have completely mastered this core technique... Please, Uncle, take them with you."
Chen Li’s eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded. "Alright. I accept."
Zhou Shuwei lowered her head and said no more.
...
「The next morning, at the first light of dawn.」
Zhou Qingyi had slept poorly, tossing and turning all night, only falling asleep just before dawn.
She rubbed her drowsy eyes and, with the help of her personal maid, began to dress and do her hair.
Sitting before the mirror, she deliberately chose a rather dignified, lake-blue brocade dress, styled her hair meticulously into a bun, and fastened it with a red gold and kingfisher feather dangling hairpin.
’Aunt, don’t blame me. I’m also doing this for the good of the Zhou Family...’
She murmured to her reflection in the mirror.
Once she was ready, she took a deep breath, left her boudoir, and walked straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen was already bustling with steam. When the cooks saw the Eldest Miss arrive in person, they all stopped their work and bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities."
Zhou Qingyi asked, "Is breakfast ready?"
The cooks replied, "To answer the Eldest Miss, yes, it is ready."
Zhou Qingyi walked to the stove and her gaze swept over the breakfast dishes.
She personally ladled out a bowl of warm, fine rice porridge and selected a few delicate, light pastries to place on a tray.
Then she carried the tray out herself.
The cooks were surprised, not understanding why the Eldest Miss, who hadn’t set foot in the kitchen for years, would suddenly appear and personally carry breakfast away.
Zhou Qingyi returned to her boudoir, dismissed her maids, and quickly took the small Jade Bottle from her sleeve. She emptied its contents into the fine rice porridge, then used a spoon to stir it quickly and thoroughly until it was completely mixed.
After doing all this, she let out a long sigh, composed her expression, picked up the tray, and walked out of her boudoir with steady steps.
As she walked along the familiar corridors, she mentally rehearsed what she was going to say next.
But when she arrived outside the courtyard where Zhou Shuwei lived, she sensed something was amiss.
Normally at this hour, her aunt’s courtyard would already be busy with maids and servants moving about, but today it was exceptionally quiet.
Puzzled, she entered the small courtyard.
The maids hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Eldest Miss."
Zhou Qingyi stopped and asked her aunt’s personal maid, "Bi He, is my aunt awake yet?"
Bi He said in a low voice, "Replying to the Eldest Miss, the Mistress left last night."
"Le... Left?"
For a moment, Zhou Qingyi didn’t register it, standing frozen in place. "Where did she go? When will she be back?"
Bi He replied cautiously, "The Mistress packed her things last night. She said that classes at the He Niu Martial Arts Academy have started, and she was going back to cultivate."
"What?"
Zhou Qingyi felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The hand holding the tray trembled violently, and the bowl and plate clattered together, nearly falling to the ground.
Her eyes widened, and her voice became unintentionally shrill. "Why did no one inform me?"
Bi He was frightened by the sudden change in her expression. She lowered her head, flinched, and said softly, "The Mistress ordered us not to wake you, Eldest Miss. She also said that from now on, the Zhou Family would be in your care, Eldest Miss."
"’In my care?’"
Those three words stabbed viciously into Zhou Qingyi’s ears.
The guilt she had felt last night for plotting against her own relative was instantly overwhelmed by rage.
"Heh... heheh..."
Zhou Qingyi trembled with anger.
The next moment, she violently, with all her strength, slammed the heavy tray—along with the drugged porridge and exquisite pastries—onto the ground.
CRASH!
A shattering sound exploded through the air.
Porcelain shards flew everywhere. Warm porridge and the remains of the delicate pastries splattered all over, creating a total mess.
The maids, their faces pale with fright, all fell to their knees.
"Zhou Shuwei, you bastard! You coward!"
Zhou Qingyi shrieked curses without restraint, her eyes red with fury. "The Zhou Family is at a life-or-death juncture, and what do you do? You only think about your little lover.
You just pack up and leave, dumping this whole mess, this catastrophic disaster, all on me! Zhou Shuwei, how can you face the ancestors of the Zhou Family? You don’t even deserve the name Zhou!"
Her curses were sharp and vicious, scaring the Zhou Family servants into silence. They kept their distance, not daring to approach.
After her hysterical outburst, Zhou Qingyi’s chest heaved as she panted heavily. "Fine, you left. It’s better that you’re gone! You won’t take responsibility? I will! You think the Zhou Family will fall apart without you? Just you watch. Without you, Zhou Shuwei, the Zhou Family won’t collapse, and it won’t die! You just watch me!"
She said coldly to the trembling servants, "Go to the front hall immediately. Summon all the Stewards, both internal and external. I want to see every one of them within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
Bi He and the others, trembling with fear, scrambled to their feet and hurried away.
...
「The Western Corner of the Commandery City.」
A quiet, elegant little courtyard with white walls and black tiles.
The courtyard gate creaked open as someone pushed it from the outside.
A young master in his twenties walked in with a jaunty spring in his step.
This was He Zhangqiu, the youngest son of Governor He Mingyun.
"Yuniang? Where is my darling? This young master has missed you terribly."
Before his words had faded, a slender figure emerged from the house to greet him.
It was none other than Li Yuniang.
Today, she wore a water-red dress that made her skin look fairer than snow. The look in her eyes carried a natural, flirtatious charm.
"Young Master... This servant has been waiting for you so anxiously my heart aches."
She purred, stepping forward to meet him.
"You and that sweet mouth of yours, always know how to make someone happy."
He Zhangqiu laughed heartily and slung an arm around her as they walked into the house.
The two of them entered the lavishly decorated room, flirting and teasing one another.
He Zhangqiu held Li Yuniang close for a few more cloying moments before his expression turned slightly more serious. He asked, "Alright, let’s talk business first. The Zhou Family... any news today? Did anything go wrong?"
Li Yuniang snuggled into his embrace and reported in a relaxed tone, "Don’t worry, Young Master. Everything went smoothly. On Zhou Qingyi’s end... nothing went wrong, but something unexpected did happen."
"Oh? What’s that?"
He Zhangqiu raised an eyebrow.
"Zhou Shuwei..."
Li Yuniang looked up, observing He Zhangqiu’s expression. "Zhou Qingyi said she went to the He Niu Martial Arts Academy to cultivate. Now, Zhou Qingyi is in sole control of the Zhou Family."
"What?"
The playful smile on He Zhangqiu’s face instantly froze, and his brow furrowed deeply. "Going to the Martial Arts Academy to cultivate? At a time like this? Is Zhou Shuwei crazy, or is she stupid?"
He shot upright, pushing Li Yuniang away, and paced a few steps around the room. "The Zhou Family is on the brink of collapse, and as the one in charge, instead of figuring out how to handle the crisis, she runs off to the Martial Arts Academy to cultivate? What... what on earth is she thinking? This means the plan might have to change."
Li Yuniang sidled up to him, grabbed his arm, and said in a sweet voice, "Young Master, isn’t it better that she’s gone? With that brainless fool Zhou Qingyi left behind, won’t it be easier for us to succeed?"
"What do you know?"
He Zhangqiu shot her a glance. "’If you don’t cut the weeds by the roots, they’ll grow back when the spring winds blow.’"
Seeing Li Yuniang’s aggrieved expression, he couldn’t help but smile and explain, "You can’t just look at the surface of things. Zhou Shuwei has left, and she went to the He Niu Martial Arts Academy. That place is beyond worldly affairs; even my father can’t extend his reach in there.
Besides, her older brother, though he’s been missing for years, is ultimately an official of the Court, and an envoy representing the Court on a mission. What if one day he suddenly returns alive, or even earns some great merit abroad...
If he finds out we seized his family’s fortune while he was away, do you think he’d let us off easy? When that time comes, he’ll return with power and influence to get his revenge, and we won’t be able to handle it. So, we actually can’t press them too hard right now. Our methods can’t be too ugly. We have to be more cautious."
After analyzing the pros and cons, He Zhangqiu clicked his tongue. "What a shame. I thought I’d finally get a taste of a woman who controls such a large family fortune. A real pity."
Seeing this, Li Yuniang grew jealous and whined coquettishly, "Young Master, isn’t having me enough for you? You’re still thinking about that old woman. I won’t have it!"
"Haha, how could that be the same thing?"
He Zhangqiu snapped out of it, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back into his embrace with a grin, his hands starting to wander.
Half-resisting, half-yielding, Li Yuniang quickly reminded him, "Young Master, don’t be in such a hurry. The soup... I got up early this morning to make it specially for you. Why don’t you have some soup first, to build up your strength?"
He Zhangqiu’s movements paused. Hearing the word "soup," his eyes lit up, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. "Good, good, soup first. What this young master likes most about you is your skill at making soup and your thoughtfulness. Quick, go get some for your master."
Li Yuniang giggled in agreement and went to fetch it.