Volume One: Carefree Wandering Amid Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Seventy-Five: Jiangling

Jiangling is located in the northern part of Jingnan, commanding the west towards Ba and Shu, bordering the north with Xianghan, embracing both rivers and lakes, reaching towards Wu and Yue—a vital passage linking the Central Plains to Lingnan. It is a key stronghold in the southeast, governed from the famed city of Jingzhou.

At noon, along the official road east of Jingzhou, the rumble of wheels echoed as a carriage jolted along, accompanied by five or six fine horses. From afar, the travelers could already make out the distant silhouette of Jingzhou City sprawling beneath the vast sky, resembling a primordial beast lying across the boundless earth.

After several days of relentless travel by day and night, Yang Ning and his companions finally arrived in Jiangling.

Gu Qinghan had insisted on personally inspecting the tax silver in Jiangling. Yang Ning, uneasy, was compelled to accompany her. His instincts warned him that something significant had occurred in Jiangling, and that Gu Qinghan’s journey might not be smooth, so he volunteered to go with her. Gu Qinghan did not object, feeling that, as Yang Ning would soon inherit the marquisate, it was reasonable for him to visit his ancestral home in Jiangling.

Duan Canghai had initially planned to escort them, but pressing matters in the capital could not be left unattended. Concerned that Steward Qiu could not handle everything alone, Gu Qinghan instructed Duan Canghai to remain in the capital to assist, leaving only Qi Feng and a few guards to accompany them.

A great fire in the capital had left the Jinyi Marquisate with heavy debts. At present, their greatest source of income was the tax silver from Jiangling. Should anything go wrong here, the marquisate would face ruin. Gu Qinghan was desperate to discover why the tax silver had not arrived; thus, except for brief stops to rest, their journey was relentless.

Along the way, Gu Qinghan had hoped to encounter the convoy transporting the tax silver, but was disappointed at every turn. Nevertheless, their journey was uneventful, and they reached the outskirts of Jingzhou without incident.

“Your Lordship, Jingzhou City is just ahead,” said Qi Feng, aware that Yang Ning had never returned to his Jiangling homeland since birth.

The Jinyi Marquis’s family hailed from Jiangling, having been a prominent clan here for over a century, enjoying immense prestige. After the old Marquis settled in the capital, the immediate family also moved there, yet their fief remained in Jiangling, where their roots ran deep.

When the old Marquis was alive, he would often return to Jiangling for short stays. In Qi Jing’s generation, such visits became less frequent, but they still returned on occasion to honor their ancestors.

Since Yang Ning’s birth, however, he had never set foot in his homeland.

Qi Feng’s own family line was from Jiangling. He had accompanied Qi Jing on homecomings before and was thus far more familiar with the region than Yang Ning. Seeing Jingzhou City in the distance, he felt a surge of warmth and affection.

“Is our ancestral home inside the city?” Yang Ning inquired.

Qi Feng shook his head with a smile. “The old residence lies some thirty or forty li south of Jingzhou, in the village of Qi’s Manor. The Emperor once decreed that a grand house be built for the old Marquis within Jingzhou, but the Marquis, cherishing the old, declined. Whenever he returned, he lived in the old residence in Qi’s Manor.” With a hint of pride, he added, “Whenever the General returned, he too stayed at the old house. At such times, officials from all over Jiangling, including the governor of Jingzhou, would visit.”

“I see,” Yang Ning replied with a smile. “So our fief and lands are all around Qi’s Manor?”

“Most of the three thousand households granted by the late Emperor are indeed scattered around Qi’s Manor,” Qi Feng explained. “But the farmlands are not all together. The late Emperor had the governor of Jiangling select the best paddies in the region as part of the fief, so they are spread throughout. You may not know, but in those days, the Qi family was a great and wealthy clan here—‘wealthy beyond compare’ would not be an exaggeration…”

“Qi Feng, you always exaggerate,” Gu Qinghan interrupted, pulling aside the carriage curtain and scolding with a smile. “Such boasts may be fine in private, but never repeat them in public. The General warned you all: this is our homeland, these are our kin and elders. We must be all the more careful here—never speak thoughtlessly before them.”

Qi Feng quickly replied, “Third Madam, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Let him finish, Third Madam,” Yang Ning said, riding beside the carriage window and smiling at Gu Qinghan. “If you stop him now, he’ll suffocate. Go on, Qi Feng, what happened next?”

Qi Feng scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I meant to say, when the old Marquis followed the late Emperor to quell the uprisings, he offered all the Qi family’s wealth to the Emperor to support the campaign. After the rebels were defeated, the late Emperor rewarded him many times over.”

Yang Ning thought to himself that the old Marquis was indeed far-sighted. The late Emperor’s favor toward the Qi family was not only because the Jinyi Marquis was a capable general and a pillar of the state, but also perhaps due to the old Marquis’s gesture of offering his family’s fortune.

“Third Madam, shall we enter the city first or go straight to the old residence?” Yang Ning called into the carriage.

Gu Qinghan replied, “It is still early. If we go into the city, it will delay us another day. Let us go directly to the old residence. We have traveled light and fast—there is no need to disturb the city.”

Yang Ning hesitated, then said, “Third Madam, there is something I wish to say to you.”

Gu Qinghan lifted the curtain, her beautiful eyes settling on Yang Ning. “I’ve seen you pondering something since yesterday. What’s on your mind?” She caught herself, realizing Yang Ning was now grown, and decided not to call him a ‘child’ any longer.

Sliding off his horse, Yang Ning tossed the reins to Qi Feng, jogged to the carriage, and ducked inside. Gu Qinghan was taken aback, instinctively moving aside. This carriage was much narrower than the grand ones used at the Marquis’s mansion—chosen for speed and ease of travel.

Yet Gu Qinghan had other reasons as well.

She was an exceptionally astute woman. Since noticing the peculiar look in Yang Ning’s eyes the last time, she became fully aware that he was no longer a boy. His demeanor and words, too, had matured, making it clear he was no longer the little one she had so carefully protected.

Women are sensitive to matters of the heart. She had long cared for the young heir, and understood that it was not unreasonable for a boy she’d raised to develop new feelings for her as he came of age. But such things could not be allowed to continue. Her care and affection remained, but her words and actions became more cautious. From then on, she no longer drew close to Yang Ning, nor took his hand, striving to keep a proper distance to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Fortunately, Yang Ning was equally careful, and things went smoothly.

This time, traveling from the capital to Jiangling, had it been before, Gu Qinghan would have insisted that Yang Ning ride with her in the carriage to spare him the fatigue of horseback. But now she chose a smaller carriage for speed and privacy, letting Yang Ning ride separately.

Yang Ning’s sudden entrance startled her, but then she chided herself for being overly sensitive. While it was right to be mindful of boundaries, constant vigilance could be excessive; perhaps Yang Ning truly had no hidden intentions. Her own unease might even hinder their natural feelings.

“Ning’er, what is it you wish to say?” Gu Qinghan steadied herself, motioning for Yang Ning to sit beside her, her voice gentle, her smile warm, doing her best to maintain a senior’s composure.

Yang Ning opened the curtain and called to Qi Feng, “No need to hurry to the old residence yet. We haven’t had lunch. Let’s stop ahead and eat something first.”

Qi Feng agreed, and Yang Ning let the curtain fall.

Gu Qinghan, noticing his air of secrecy, was puzzled. Yang Ning leaned in and whispered, “Third Madam, are we really going straight to the old residence?”

Though Yang Ning had moved closer, Gu Qinghan saw the seriousness in his gaze and thought nothing of it. In a low voice, she answered, “If we are to find out why the tax silver did not reach the capital, the old residence is where we must go. What is on your mind?”

“All along the way, we never encountered the silver convoy, nor heard of any robbery,” Yang Ning mused quietly. “I keep thinking—if the tax silver hasn’t reached the capital, could the problem be at the old residence?” Without waiting for her response, he asked, “Is our tax silver independent of the local authorities, managed by the old residence?”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “There is a chief steward at the old residence, also a member of the Qi clan. Over the years, all the income from our lands and fief in Jiangling has been managed by him. Twice a year, the tax silver and harvest are sent from there to the capital.”

“The chief steward doesn’t collect the taxes himself, does he?” Yang Ning pressed.

“No,” Gu Qinghan explained. “The three thousand households are spread across dozens of villages, each with a headman. At the appointed times, each headman brings the village’s taxes to the old residence. This region is well-suited to grain; there’s a spring and autumn harvest each year. The grain due as tax is delivered by the headman to the old residence, where the chief steward exchanges it for silver, which is then sent to the capital.”

“So, the tax silver in Jiangling is under the chief steward’s control,” Yang Ning said gravely. “If anything goes wrong, he is responsible?”

“Precisely,” said Gu Qinghan. “Ning’er, what are you getting at?”

“I’ve been thinking,” Yang Ning said slowly, “if the tax silver is delayed, it cannot be because the villagers failed to pay. If all the taxes have been delivered to the old residence, why has it not been sent on to the capital? Could it be that the chief steward is up to something?”

“The chief steward?” Gu Qinghan frowned. “He wouldn’t dare! We’ve come back precisely to find out what difficulties the chief steward has encountered.”

“Have you met him?” Yang Ning gazed into Gu Qinghan’s clear eyes. “Do you know him well?”

“He’s visited the capital a few times, but I’ve rarely spoken with him,” Gu Qinghan replied. “The General is often away, and the Dowager devotes herself to Buddhist practice, so much of the household business falls to me and Steward Qiu. When the chief steward comes to the capital, Steward Qiu usually receives him. Over the years, he’s never failed in his duties. He certainly wouldn’t dare hold back the tax silver.”

Yang Ning sighed softly. “Third Madam, I’m not worried that he’s withholding the silver for himself. I’m worried that someone is forcing him to keep it back.”