Volume One: The Carefree Journey Amidst Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Forty-Seven: Upheaval in the Capital

Gu Qinghan’s delicate brows drew together in a frown. She thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, “Canghai, from this moment on, no one in the household is to leave without strict permission. If there is any need to go out for supplies, they must be extremely careful.” Then she turned to Qifeng. “Qifeng, you have acquaintances in the Prefecture of the Capital—try to find out what exactly has happened.”

Both men bowed in acknowledgment. Qifeng said, “Madam, if something truly has occurred in the palace, the constables of the capital are merely acting on orders to patrol the streets. As for the real reason, I doubt even they know.”

Qifeng’s words were reasonable. Duan Canghai added, “The Imperial Guard has been transferred into the Inner City, and the Black Blade Battalion has taken over its post. This makes it clear the palace intends to suppress any news. For now, it will be difficult for us to learn what has happened inside.”

Gu Qinghan considered this briefly before asking, “Has the city been sealed off yet?”

“Not yet,” Qifeng replied. “But given the situation, it’s likely that a citywide curfew will be imposed tonight. Once that happens, sealing off the capital will be inevitable.”

“But the general’s funeral is in just two days. If the city is locked down, how will we escort the procession out?” Gu Qinghan’s worry was plain. “The funeral rites must be observed according to custom. Any mistake will not only affect the auspices but may also violate ceremonial law, and others could use it as a pretext for trouble.”

“Madam, rest assured. The city gates are still under the control of the Tiger God Battalion, and their commander is an old subordinate of the general’s. I will go to him and ask about the situation. No matter what, we must ensure the general’s funeral proceeds smoothly,” Duan Canghai replied.

Gu Qinghan patted her ample chest in relief, a faint smile appearing. “I was so anxious I forgot—Commander Xue still leads the Tiger God Battalion. With him there, the general’s funeral should not be a problem.” Then, however, anxiety returned to her features. “No wonder the palace has delayed sending anyone. There truly must be trouble…”

Yang Ning stood silent nearby, listening to their conversation, and understood that the capital was no longer at peace.

“By the way, Madam, when we arrived just now, we saw the Marquis of Wuxiang leaving. He didn’t look pleased, and… he was muttering to himself.” Duan Canghai hesitated, then lowered his voice. “He seemed rather displeased with you. Did something happen?”

A glint of disdain flickered in Gu Qinghan’s eyes. She sneered, “Do you think anything good ever comes from his visits? They say a tiger’s son will never be a dog, but that clearly doesn’t apply to the Marquis of Wuxiang.” Noting Yang Ning’s presence, she seemed unwilling to say more. She turned to him. “Ning’er, pay no heed to the rest. Your focus should be on managing the funeral. Everything else can wait.”

Yang Ning nodded, understanding that troubles were piling up and Gu Qinghan must be feeling overwhelmed.

With events unfolding in the capital, Gu Qinghan naturally had to report to the Dowager Madam. After she left, Duan Canghai issued a few instructions to Qifeng, who departed quickly.

“My lord, if the Marquis of Wuxiang said anything unpleasant, don’t take it to heart,” Duan Canghai said, noticing Yang Ning’s dark expression and assuming he had suffered some slight. “The marquis has never been one for formalities; sometimes his words are… too blunt.”

Yang Ning gave a crooked smile. “He came today to break off the engagement.”

“That’s… what?” Duan Canghai was about to offer a few words of comfort, but stopped short, his body jolting in shock. “Break off the engagement? My lord, surely you jest?”

Yang Ning shrugged. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“How could this be?” Duan Canghai exclaimed, aghast. “That marriage was arranged by the late marquises themselves. Both the Jinyi Marquis and the Marquis of Wuxiang are hereditary lords of Great Chu, their houses of the highest standing. Once such a betrothal is made, not even families like ours—let alone common folk—would dare to break it off so lightly.”

Yang Ning laughed. “Didn’t you just say the Marquis of Wuxiang is an unconventional man? You weren’t wrong. He discarded the engagement as if tearing up a scrap of waste paper.”

Duan Canghai’s tiger eyes blazed with anger, his fists clenching. “The general hasn’t even been buried, and he already turns traitor. In his eyes, what does our Jinyi Marquis household amount to?”

Yang Ning stroked his chin. “He said there’s not a single man in the Qi family capable of taking charge. He even called me a fool—useless and unworthy of his daughter.”

Duan Canghai drew a deep breath, his voice trembling with rage. “Su Zhen is striking at us when we’re down…!” He was shaking with fury, unable to continue.

Yang Ning patted him on the arm, laughing. “It’s nothing, really. Like father, like daughter. With a faithless father like that, I doubt the daughter is much better.” Then, lowering his voice with a mischievous grin, he asked, “Uncle Duan, have you ever seen their daughter? Is she pretty?”

Duan Canghai replied, “I haven’t, but the Marquis of Wuxiang—Su Zhen—isn’t bad-looking, and his wife was once famed for her beauty. Their daughter shouldn’t be unattractive.” He then asked seriously, “My lord, did you agree to break off the engagement?”

“Third Madam said she would report to Grandmother,” Yang Ning said, clearly unconcerned with Su Zhen’s conduct. “We’ll see what Grandmother decides.”

Duan Canghai’s anger had not abated. He sneered, “Su Zhen is reckless, but I never thought he’d be so frivolous with such an important matter. The human heart is indeed unpredictable. To think—” He hesitated, then stopped himself.

Yang Ning smiled. “Uncle Duan, do you know Su Zhen well? I know little of my would-be father-in-law.”

Duan Canghai knew that the young lord had always been muddle-headed—not quite an idiot, but dull-witted. Now, however, he seemed to have sharpened up, perhaps from the shock, and was beginning to understand the ways of the world. After a pause, Duan explained, “In his youth, Su Zhen was notorious in the capital as a libertine, frequenting brothels and spending his days in drunken debauchery. The old Marquis of Wuxiang was often away, and discipline at home was lax…”

Inwardly, Yang Ning cursed. Su Zhen had just chided Qi Ning for his dissipated behavior along the Qinhuai River, but it seemed he himself was the true old hand at such affairs.

“Back when your third uncle was married, Su Zhen attended the feast and—” Duan Canghai’s fists clenched, then he shook his head. “It’s all in the past, not worth mentioning.”

Yang Ning’s curiosity was piqued. “Uncle Duan, what happened? Surely Su Zhen didn’t cause trouble at my third uncle’s wedding?”

Duan Canghai gave a cold laugh. “You guessed right. At the wedding, Su Zhen and several of his dissolute friends sneaked into the bridal chamber, claiming they wanted to liven up the festivities. Their behavior was improper, and when your third uncle arrived with his men…” Here, his face took on a peculiar expression. “When your third uncle got there, Su Zhen was covered in blood and had already fainted dead away.”

“What?” Yang Ning’s interest was thoroughly aroused. The misfortune of Su Zhen was particularly satisfying. “What happened?”

Duan Canghai glanced around, then lowered his voice further. “My lord, keep this to yourself. Many know of it, but few dare speak of it now. Though I didn’t witness it myself, we all surmised that Su Zhen, unable to change his lecherous ways, tried to use the wedding revelry as an excuse to harass the third madam. She stabbed him in the thigh with a pair of scissors. Though he was the legitimate son of the old marquis, he clearly didn’t inherit his father’s courage—he fainted from fright on the spot.”

Yang Ning couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Now he understood why Su Zhen had seemed so wary of Gu Qinghan earlier—so this was the reason! The image of the delicate yet fiercely capable Gu Qinghan brought a smile to his lips.

“Though Su Zhen’s behavior has always been disgraceful, I never thought he’d dare break off the engagement without warning,” Duan Canghai went on with a sneer. “He’s greedy for quick gains. The old marquis was a true hero, a man whose word was his bond. Who would have thought…” He shook his head. “Ever since Su Zhen inherited the title, the reputation of the Marquis of Wuxiang has plummeted. People often mock him, saying he can’t compare to the other three great marquises. Yet our general never held it against him and honored the old engagement.”

“Uncle Duan, Su Zhen’s visit to end the engagement is obviously because my father passed away,” Yang Ning said slowly. “He believes the Jinyi Marquis household is now in decline and wants nothing more to do with us. Given what you’ve said about his character, such behavior is no surprise.” He paused. “But what puzzles me is why he chose this exact moment. My father’s funeral hasn’t even taken place, yet he comes now to break the engagement. He must know this is tantamount to openly severing ties with us. Anyone with sense would know better than to be so tactless.”

Duan Canghai frowned. “That is indeed strange. Su Zhen may be frivolous, but he isn’t a fool. By rights, even if he wanted to break off the betrothal, he should have waited. Instead, he comes on the eve of the general’s funeral—there’s something off about it.”

Yang Ning’s eyes narrowed as he leaned in, lowering his voice. “Uncle Duan, do you think there’s another reason behind this? I can’t believe Su Zhen broke the engagement on a whim.”

Duan Canghai thought for a moment before replying, “It’s hard for us to guess at such matters.” Then, frowning, he added, “But if the engagement really is broken, our Jinyi Marquis household’s reputation will suffer greatly.”

“It’s their doing. The only reputation ruined will be theirs.” Yang Ning gave a cold laugh. “A man without honor—soon everyone will know what the Marquis of Wuxiang really is.”

“My lord, you don’t understand.” Duan Canghai forced a bitter smile. “Right now, our household is in difficulty. Many are watching and waiting. If the Su family breaks off the engagement, their reputation will take a hit, but ours may suffer even more. Think about it—if they take the initiative, outsiders will assume that even the Su family doesn’t want us. Everyone will believe we are finished. That will only encourage others to kick us while we’re down.” He lowered his voice. “If the engagement is dissolved, the Su family loses face, but we may lose everything.”

“I see,” Yang Ning murmured, narrowing his eyes in thought.