Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Liyang.

Zhou Shuwei, Chen Shouheng, and Veteran General Zhan successfully delivered the forty-five thousand bolts of silk to the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau. After obtaining the official documents, they traveled day and night without stopping, hurrying back to Lingxi.

They had just returned home and had barely caught their breath.

His father, Chen Li, informed them that with their wedding approaching, it would be improper for Zhou Shuwei to be married from the Chen Family’s home. He urged them to take the documents to the Commandery Magistrate’s Office as soon as possible to unseal the Zhou Family’s confiscated assets.

The three of them dared not delay and immediately set off for the Commandery City once more.

To their surprise, the process at the Commandery Magistrate’s Office went exceptionally smoothly this time.

The clerks, the officials handling the case, and even the Dean who came out for the final verification did not deliberately make things difficult as they had expected.

After inspecting the documents and verifying the seals, he readily signed the release papers, returning the Zhou Family’s main properties, such as their mansion and Textile Workshop.

When they inquired about the Zhou Family’s servants, the Dean said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Patriarch Zhou, your servants have been at the disposal of the various Government Offices for quite some time. Their food and board for the past few months have been covered by the government. This expense needs to be settled."

According to the Court’s laws, household slaves were private property.

If a master was found guilty, their slaves would either be conscripted as official slaves or be auctioned off with the family’s assets, unless they could pay a fine to buy their own freedom.

Thus, during this period, the Zhou Family’s servants had been conscripted as unpaid official slaves, assigned to various Government Offices in the Commandery City.

But now that Zhou Shuwei had the confiscation order lifted, these servants naturally had to be returned to her.

Zhou Shuwei understood perfectly. She knew he was trying to squeeze her and asked, "How many silver taels?"

The Dean methodically flicked the beads of his abacus. After a long moment, he said, "Including the share for my Government Office and the others, the total comes to two thousand taels of patterned silver. This is official business, so the price is not negotiable."

Without another word, Zhou Shuwei immediately paid the so-called "food expenses."

The tedious handover process, armed with the document from the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, took up the better part of the day.

It wasn’t until the sun was setting in the west that the detained servants of the Zhou Family were gradually gathered together.

Seeing Zhou Shuwei, many of the older servants couldn’t help but begin to sob quietly.

「In front of the Zhou Mansion.」

Gazing at the familiar vermilion gates, which had been sealed for months.

Zhou Shuwei stopped in her tracks, feeling a little dazed for a moment.

She tore off the seals and pushed open the heavy doors.

CREAK!

The hinges groaned dryly.

Inside the courtyard, the once meticulously tended flowers and trees were mostly withered. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground, and cobwebs stretched between the corridor pillars.

The main hall was in an even worse state of disarray.

Any valuables, personal effects, or antique ornaments had long been swept clean.

Even much of the fine furniture had vanished, most likely carried off by thieving clerks who had seized the opportunity.

The entire mansion was left with nothing but empty buildings.

Nearly every room was just an empty shell.

Zhou Shuwei walked step by step along the familiar corridor, her fingers unconsciously brushing against the railing. Her fingertips came away coated in a thick layer of dust. A sour feeling stung her nose, and she fought back the tears welling in her eyes.

"It’s good that we got it back. As long as our people are safe, that’s what matters."

Chen Shouheng stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder.

Zhou Shuwei took a deep breath, suppressing the sorrow in her heart, and began directing the household servants to fetch water, sweep the floors, and wipe everything down.

After making do for one night, Zhou Shuwei and Chen Shouheng went out early the next morning to purchase furniture and other necessities.

In the past, when the Zhou Family was at its peak, every item they used was exquisite and luxurious.

Now, after all that had happened, Zhou Shuwei’s mindset was completely different.

She moved among the dazzling array of furniture, her gaze lingering on the sturdy, durable, and reasonably priced common styles.

As for the expensive, intricately carved furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, she gave it only a fleeting glance before instinctively looking away.

"Shopkeeper, what’s the price of this rosewood round table?" Zhou Shuwei asked, pointing to a set of furniture that was solidly built and simple in design.

Chen Shouheng, who had been watching silently from the side, spoke up. "Shuwei, since we’ll be using them, we should pick some good ones."

Before Zhou Shuwei could respond, he turned to the Shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, please pick out the best quality canopy beds, wardrobes, dressing tables, as well as the desks and bookshelves for the study, and have them delivered."

The Shopkeeper’s eyes lit up. Realizing a big customer had arrived, he quickly put on a broad smile and agreed.

Zhou Shuwei said in a low voice, "There’s no need to spend so much. Ordinary ones that are functional will be fine."

Chen Shouheng shook his head. "You and I will be living here for a long time. We can’t be careless about it."

A warmth spread through Zhou Shuwei’s heart, and she said no more.

She let Chen Shouheng finalize the details with the Shopkeeper, ordering a batch of furniture that, while not as lavish as their old things, was made of Superior materials and craftsmanship.

In the afternoon, the ordered furniture began to arrive at the Zhou Mansion.

At the same time, the Zhou Family servants who had been scattered among the various Government Offices also returned one by one.

The empty mansion was gradually filled, finally starting to look like a home again.

Zhou Shuwei went alone to the embroidery chamber where Zhou Qingyi used to live.

The maids had already cleaned the room thoroughly. The newly delivered canopy bed, dressing table, chairs, daybed, and folding screen were all neatly arranged.

Although it no longer had the lavish splendor of its past, the room was clean and elegant.

She surveyed the room carefully, then turned to Cai Lian, who had been following behind her. Cai Lian was originally Zhou Qingyi’s head personal maid. "Is anything missing?" she asked.

Cai Lian was an intelligent-looking girl. She chuckled lightly and said, "Replying to the Mistress, other than the Young Miss’s personal items like her cosmetic case and embroidery, all the large furnishings and necessities are here. You have an excellent memory, Mistress. Even we maids didn’t remember everything so thoroughly."

Zhou Shuwei nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over the maids in the room, who looked haggard but were forcing themselves to appear energetic. She softened her voice. "You’ve all suffered during this time. At the Government Offices... did anyone bully you?"

As soon as she said this, the maids tidying the room all stopped what they were doing. Their eyes reddened, and they began to sob quietly, clearly having suffered a great deal recently.

Zhou Shuwei’s gaze fell on Cai Lian’s face.

Cai Lian’s expression stiffened slightly, and a flicker of barely perceptible panic crossed her face. She quickly lowered her head and choked out, "The Mistress pities us. But the suffering we endured is nothing compared to what you and the Young Miss have gone through. To be able to return to the mansion is already a blessing from the heavens."

Zhou Shuwei knew they must have been treated poorly and offered some gentle words of comfort.

Just then.

「Outside the main gate of the Zhou Mansion.」

A man wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, with two sheathless short blades crossed at his waist, appeared without a sound.

Seeing his strange attire, the gatekeeper stepped forward to block his path. "Halt! Who are you?"

"I need to see Zhou Shuwei."

The man said flatly.

The gatekeeper shouted, "Our Patriarch is not someone you can see just by asking!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the man in the bamboo hat gently pushed the hilt of his blade with his right thumb.

A flash of cold light appeared. A piercing killing intent instantly made the gatekeeper feel as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern. The rest of his words caught in his throat, and he scrambled away, running into the inner residence to report.

Zhou Shuwei was about to leave Zhou Qingyi’s courtyard.

A servant came running in a hurry to report, "Patriarch, a strange man in a bamboo hat has arrived at the gate. He’s asking to see you by name."

Zhou Shuwei raised an eyebrow. "Please show him to the side hall and serve him tea."

In the side hall, the man did not remove his bamboo hat. He simply sat there in silence, emanating an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Zhou Shuwei dismissed her attendants and entered alone.

About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the door to the side hall opened. The man hurried away, his departure as abrupt as his arrival.

In Zhou Shuwei’s hand was an unsigned letter.

She returned to her room, pressed a spot in an inconspicuous location, and a wooden panel sprang open, revealing a hidden compartment.

She placed the letter inside and then closed the compartment, her expression unchanged.

「As evening fell.」

Zhou Shuwei and Chen Shouheng went for a walk in the streets to see the Commandery City at night and to buy some daily necessities.

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea after they left, a furtive figure slipped silently into Zhou Shuwei’s chambers.

This person was clearly quite familiar with the room’s layout and quickly found the hidden compartment.

After a bit of fiddling, the compartment clicked open.

The figure swiftly took the letter from within, tucked it into their robes, then darted out of the room, slipped away through the back gate of the Zhou Mansion, and vanished into the vast darkness of the night.

...

「In the Western Corner of the Commandery City, inside an elegant little courtyard with whitewashed walls and dark-tiled roofs.」

The night deepened, and the moonlight poured into the courtyard like mercury.

He Zhangqiu walked with a light step, humming a little tune. He was clearly in an excellent mood as he raised a hand to knock on the courtyard gate.

CREAK.

The gate opened slightly, and the pretty figure of Li Yuniang appeared behind it.

Seeing it was He Zhangqiu, a flash of delight crossed her eyes, and she quickly welcomed him into the courtyard.

"My dear lady, did you miss me tonight?"

The moment He Zhangqiu stepped into the courtyard, his hand roamed improperly towards Li Yuniang’s waist, a frivolous look on his face.

Li Yuniang pushed him away with a hint of playful reproach, lowering her voice. "Young Master! Someone’s watching!"

"Someone?"

He Zhangqiu’s brow furrowed, his sharp gaze sweeping towards the room. "Who?"

Li Yuniang led him quickly into the inner room.

There in the hall, a pretty young woman in a maid’s uniform stood with her head bowed.

It was none other than Zhou Qingyi’s personal maid, Cai Lian.

When He Zhangqiu saw her, his face immediately darkened. His earlier amorous mood vanished completely, and his tone was laced with clear displeasure. "Why are you back so soon? Didn’t I tell you to remain undercover and not to reveal yourself unless it was absolutely necessary?"

Seeing He Zhangqiu’s displeasure, Cai Lian hastily bowed and reported, "Please calm your anger, Young Master. This servant did not dare to act rashly, but this afternoon, a man from the Jianghu wearing a bamboo hat came to the Zhou Mansion and secretly gave a letter to the Mistress.

This servant felt something was amiss. While the Mistress was out, I took the risk of examining the letter and discovered its contents were of great importance. I feared it might interfere with your grand plans, Young Master, so I had no choice but to risk returning to report it."

"A letter?"

A chill went down He Zhangqiu’s spine. He pressed, "What letter? Where is it?"

Cai Lian quickly took a neatly folded letter from her robes and presented it with both hands.

He Zhangqiu took the letter and swiftly unfolded it.

As his eyes scanned the characters on the paper, his expression changed dramatically.

To the Esteemed Patriarchs of the Chen and Zhou Families:

Sanli has returned to the gang and reported to the Gang Leader, who has agreed to join forces with you to strike the He Family. When the time comes, our gang’s masters will be deployed in full force. We will set an inescapable trap at Zhuoyan Village, ensuring that we capture all three of the He Family’s Grandmasters in one fell swoop.

After this is done, the He Family’s forty thousand bolts of silk and all other profits will be split fifty-fifty between our two sides. We can discuss the details further when we meet in person. Li Sanli.

Below the signature was the clear imprint of Li Sanli’s personal seal.

"Tuo Long Bang... the Chen Family... the Zhou Family..."

He Zhangqiu’s hand, holding the letter, trembled slightly. The good mood he’d been in when he stepped through the gate was completely gone.

He practically spat the words through clenched teeth: "They actually... conspired together?!"

This sudden news was like a blow to the head, completely shattering his carefully laid plans, which he had been so certain would succeed.

He never would have imagined that the Tuo Long Bang was secretly in league with the Chen and Zhou Families.

This completely upended his plans and could even place him in extreme danger.

Just six days ago, Li Sanli of the Tuo Long Bang had met with him in secret and told him that the Chen Family had agreed to trade the forty thousand bolts of silk.

The deal was set to happen in ten days, at Zhuoyan Pier on Mirror Mountain.

At the time, the two sides had even discussed the details of their move in depth.

The plan was to complete the transaction on a boat. Once the silk was handed over, they would immediately lock the ship’s anchor.

Constables from the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, in coordination with men from the Jingwu Bureau, would then catch the Chen Family red-handed. They would be thrown into the death cells, ensuring the Chen Family could never recover.

If the Chen Family dared to resist, the three Grandmasters he had invited through his older sister’s connections would take action.

But if...

If the Tuo Long Bang had been colluding with the Chen Family from the very beginning, then this so-called "transaction" was nothing but a trap aimed at his He Family.

At this thought, a cold sweat broke out on He Zhangqiu’s back.

Seeing He Zhangqiu’s face turn ashen, Li Yuniang quickly drew closer, concerned. She asked softly, "Young Master, what’s wrong? What does the letter say?"