Volume One: Carefree Journey Amidst Uncertain Leaves Chapter 87: The Numeric Cipher

“Did you go there?” Gu Qinghan frowned, saying, “That’s not a good place. Don’t go there again.”

It seemed Gu Qinghan was also aware of that haunted courtyard. Yang Ning, of course, was not willing to let go of the topic so easily and asked, “Why? Is it because it’s haunted?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Gu Qinghan replied. “Don’t believe the rumors you hear. It’s just an abandoned house—whether it’s haunted or not, just stay away from it.”

Yang Ning dragged his chair forward, grinning. “Third Madam, if it’s just an abandoned courtyard, why won’t you let me go there? The whole place is overrun with weeds and withered vines. Someone should clear it out. We might not live here, but this is still our ancestral home. We can’t ignore it completely.”

Gu Qinghan seemed reluctant to discuss the matter further. Yang Ning pressed on, “If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to let it go. Third Madam, please, just tell me.”

Seeing his persistent manner, Gu Qinghan couldn’t help but smile wryly and chuckled, “Don’t pretend to be so pitiful.” After hesitating a moment, she said, “When I married into the family, the wedding was held here. By chance, I discovered that courtyard. Back then, people also said it was haunted. But the old Marquis was a righteous man, and the Qi family is a family of standing. In such a household, how could there be ghosts? Still, the old Marquis had set a rule: no one was allowed near that courtyard, and entering was strictly forbidden. Anyone who disobeyed would be severely punished.”

“But why? If it’s not because of ghosts, there must be some reason,” Yang Ning said. “Third Madam, do you know that flute music can often be heard coming from that courtyard?”

“A flute?” Gu Qinghan’s rosy lips parted alluringly. “Rumors get exaggerated. There’s no need to believe everything you hear. If the old Marquis forbade anyone from going near, that is the Qi family’s rule. There’s no need to question it—just obey.” Seeing Yang Ning’s disappointment, she hesitated, then added, “Your third uncle told me privately once that, apparently, a woman died in that courtyard. She died with grievances in her heart, it seems. After that, the courtyard was locked up, and rumors began to circulate.”

“A woman?” Yang Ning asked immediately. “What woman?”

Gu Qinghan shook her head. “Your third uncle didn’t say more. He was unwilling to talk about it. Very few people know what really happened in that courtyard.” She raised her hand, dismissing him. “Go on now. Don’t distract me from checking the accounts.”

Yang Ning realized that pressing further would yield nothing more. Besides, Gu Qinghan didn’t seem to know much about the place. Just as he was about to rise, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, “Third Madam, don’t you find these account books tedious? They look quite disorganized to me.”

Gu Qinghan shot Yang Ning a glance, her beauty undiminished. “You’ve never touched the accounts before, so of course they look confusing to you. This is how account books are—detailed, as they should be. How are they tedious?”

“I don’t mean the accounts themselves are tedious, but the way they’re recorded,” Yang Ning explained. He picked up an account book, leafed through a few pages, grabbed a sheet of paper, dipped a brush in ink, and began to write. Gu Qinghan was puzzled by his actions, watching as he swiftly drew a diagram that looked much like a fishing net.

Then Yang Ning started filling the table with characters, glancing at the account book and entering numbers into the grid. Gu Qinghan, unfamiliar with the Arabic numerals he was writing, was quite astonished. She couldn’t help but get up and lean over his shoulder, watching closely.

Yang Ning was utterly absorbed. After a few moments, he set down his brush and, glancing sideways, caught sight of Gu Qinghan’s chest. Noticing that her figure was still tightly bound and her curves concealed, he worried it might harm her and almost asked if it was uncomfortable.

Gu Qinghan, unaware of his thoughts, studied the strange diagram he had created, puzzled. “What is this?”

She came from a wealthy family and had some knowledge of calligraphy and painting, so at first she thought Yang Ning was drawing, but this picture had no beauty to it at all.

“These are numbers. The words here represent different items,” Yang Ning explained. “The rightmost column is for units, then tens, then hundreds…”

He patiently taught her, and since Arabic numerals are simple and Gu Qinghan was exceptionally intelligent, she quickly grasped the numbers from zero to nine and understood the place values. When Yang Ning finished his explanation, Gu Qinghan was left stunned. After a long while, she exclaimed, “Ning’er, did you come up with this yourself?”

“I saw how hard you worked on the accounts, so I started thinking of new ways,” Yang Ning replied, silently thinking that if he told her these were Arabic numerals, she might think he was possessed by a demon. “Third Madam, look—this table takes less than half a page, yet covers five or six pages of the account book, and everything is clear at a glance.”

“So this is called a table?” Gu Qinghan had grasped the concept of the table and the numerals. She compared the table to the account book, her eyes filling with astonishment. Suddenly she looked up and asked again, “Did you really think of this yourself?”

Yang Ning scratched his cheek, understanding her surprise. Since it would be some time before Arabic numerals spread here, he wasn’t worried about being exposed. Calmly, he said, “Just came up with it. What do you think of this method, Third Madam?”

Gu Qinghan’s face lit up with delight. “Ning’er, you’re truly clever—to even invent such a method.” Looking at the table, she was quite excited. “This really is simple and clear. If only we’d had this way before, I wouldn’t have needed to spend so much time on these accounts.”

Yang Ning was pleased by her approval and leaned in. “Third Madam, this isn’t just for bookkeeping. It can be used for codes as well.”

“Codes?” Gu Qinghan asked in surprise. “What does that mean?” Since Yang Ning’s awakening, his mind seemed ever more brilliant and imaginative, but she had no idea what he meant by this new term.

Yang Ning smiled. “If I’m ever away and write you a letter, to prevent impersonation, we can include codes we’ve agreed upon. That way, you’ll know if it’s really from me. And if we make the codes more complex, these numbers can convey messages only you and I can understand.”

Gu Qinghan’s beautiful eyes widened with curiosity. “How would that work?”

Yang Ning picked up the brush and wrote a line of numbers on the paper, handing it to her. “This is a simple code. See if you can decipher it, Third Madam.”

Gu Qinghan looked at the numbers. Having just learned them, she read them aloud, “Five, two, zero, one, three, one, four.” She looked up, puzzled. “Ning’er, what do these numbers mean?”

Yang Ning laughed. “Third Madam, you’re so clever, yet you can’t see through such a simple code? Read it together—it means ‘I will love you forever’!”

Gu Qinghan was startled. Her cheeks reddened, and she tossed the paper aside.

Seeing this, Yang Ning said, “Third Madam, that’s just the simplest code. There’s still more—”

“Ning’er, you grow bolder and more unruly by the day.” Gu Qinghan’s expression darkened. “Don’t speak such nonsense again.”

“Third Madam, you misunderstand—I—”

“I’m not just talking about this code.” Gu Qinghan’s face was solemn. “When you return to the capital, the court will likely have you inherit the Marquis of Embroidered Uniform. Once you’re the Marquis, you must be cautious in all things—not only before officials, but even here at home you can’t be as unrestrained as before.” She paused, her tone growing sterner. “I am your third mother. In my presence, you cannot speak recklessly or act disrespectfully. If you can’t keep proper conduct with me, how will you be careful outside?”

Yang Ning hadn’t expected such a reaction. He was a clever man, and to be honest, Gu Qinghan, such a beautiful young widow, had always held a certain allure for him. He admired and respected her. Though his form was only sixteen or seventeen, his soul was mature. To claim he’d never felt the slightest inappropriate thought toward her would be self-deception. Still, he always treated her with utmost respect and was careful in word and deed.

He also knew that since the last incident, Gu Qinghan had become very sensitive about their relationship, keeping a certain distance for fear that things might become too close and cause trouble.

Today’s joke had seemed harmless, so her strong reaction was unexpected.

Seeing Yang Ning frown, Gu Qinghan thought she had hurt him. She cared for him deeply, so her tone softened. “I say this for your sake. You’re the legitimate eldest son of the Qi family and the heir to the Marquisate. Many eyes are watching you. Any misstep could bring disaster not just upon you, but the whole Qi family. Do you understand, Ning’er?”

Yang Ning thought to himself, I’m not really the heir to the marquisate. I might vanish without a trace any day. If it’s about protecting you, that’s one thing, but the Qi family has nothing to do with me. Still, he nodded slightly. “I understand.”

Gu Qinghan sensed the chill in the air and smiled. “But the method you taught me today is truly ingenious. In the future, I won’t have to struggle with the accounts so much. You’ve helped me greatly.”

“How are the accounts here?” Yang Ning asked. “Is there anything amiss?”

Gu Qinghan shook her head softly. “The income and expenses of the old estate are clear. The account books detail the taxes from the fief and the harvest from our own lands. Everything is very thorough. According to the records, the taxes are indeed taken at twenty percent. Even the silver sent to the capital at the end of September is clearly noted.”

Yang Ning leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Could these be false accounts? Maybe they expected the marquisate to send someone for inspection, so they prepared fake records.”

“It’s not impossible,” Gu Qinghan replied quietly. “I was suspicious as well and wanted to see if there were any flaws, but so far, nothing stands out.”

Yang Ning whispered, “They said when the tax silver was escorted to the capital, the magistrate of Jiangling sent soldiers as guards. When Qi Feng arrives tonight, we can have him check if it’s true. Also, as the heir, I can summon all the landlords on the fief under some pretext. If the old house is faking accounts, the landlords will expose them easily when questioned face to face.”