Chapter 24

The Storm Approaches

After that night at the Huachao Pavilion, Xie Suian’s trust in Nan Yi deepened. Nan Yi, however, dared not act recklessly again and became overly cautious about the traitor hidden within Wangxue Wu. 

Her current situation was awkward. Though she was eager to rescue her third uncle, she was more afraid of exposing her actions and dragging herself down in the process. Without uncovering the identity of the traitor, she dared not mobilize the resources of the Bureau of Candlelight. 

Alone, how could she possibly save her third uncle? Still, the ongoing developments gave her a glimmer of hope. Perhaps, as others speculated, the Qi people might release her third uncle. 

But Nan Yi found it hard to feel optimistic about this. 

At Huachao Pavilion, she had heard Xie Que Shan say, “The one playing the good cop will show up soon.” It seemed that everything was still within Xie Que Shan’s plan, and they likely had more tricks up their sleeves. 

She dared not tell Xie Suian, fearing her impulsiveness, so she kept it to herself, her heart weighed with unease. 

Even as turmoil brewed outside, Wangxue Wu remained orderly and serene, its daily routines undisturbed. Despite the inner tension, everyone maintained composure, upholding the facade of refinement and suppressing any outward display of emotion. 

Fortunately, Xie Zhu had only suffered minor injuries when his fall from the tower was broken by the silk banners. This news brought comfort to the Old Madam’s chambers, where everyone reassured her that both public sentiment and divine will seemed to favor the third master, and that the Qi people would eventually bow to pressure and release him. 

Though the Old Madam’s health showed no improvement, it had at least stabilized. 

However, what troubled Nan Yi more was her newfound but empty title as head of the household. 

Even with Xie Suian backing her, it was difficult for Nan Yi to gain the respect of the household. On the surface, the Xie family members addressed her politely as “Young Madam,” but no one truly took her seriously. Some even harbored resentment toward her. 

Lu Jinxiu, who had managed the household affairs for years, suddenly had her authority stripped away. Though she was an elder in the family and understood Nan Yi’s innocence in the matter, she still found it hard to swallow. As a result, her attitude toward Nan Yi was distant and indifferent. 

Still, Lu Jinxiu couldn’t refuse to delegate any tasks to Nan Yi, as that would make her seem petty. At the same time, she worried that Nan Yi would mishandle the household matters, so she assigned her a relatively simple task: collecting rent in the city. 

That day, Xie Suian happened to be preoccupied, and Nan Yi, unfamiliar with Lidu Prefecture, had no trustworthy maid to accompany her. With no other option, she armed herself with a map of Lidu Prefecture and headed out. 

Before setting out, Nan Yi confidently promised to collect all the rent owed from the shops and tenants. But when she was faced with the yellow-faced tenants and struggling commoners, she found herself unable to utter a single word about the payments. 

In theory, the soaring grain prices should have brought them profits, but the reality was different. The tenants had no surplus grain to sell. Much of the autumn harvest had been requisitioned by the army, and after days of heavy snowfall, the roads leading to Tiger Kneel Mountain were blocked, cutting off their chances of foraging for herbs to sell. 

The merchants, on the other hand, seemed to make substantial daily profits, but the war had driven up their procurement costs. Often, even after paying large deposits, shipments were intercepted by bandits mid-journey. The extra profit they earned mostly went toward protection fees for the authorities, leaving barely enough to cover the wages of their staff. 

Remembering her own days of hunger and poverty, Nan Yi empathized deeply. Faced with the pleading faces begging for leniency, her heart softened completely. Gritting her teeth, she made the decision to waive all their rent. 

She collected not a single coin. 

Now, Nan Yi anxiously wondered how she would explain this to Aunt Lu upon returning. 

Her steps slowed as she meandered back to Wangxue Wu, deliberately delaying her return. 

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby as a crowd surged toward the city walls. Something seemed to have happened. 

Swept along by the bustling crowd, Nan Yi guessed that it must be another protest led by the Imperial College students. 

Since Xie Zhu’s leap from the tower, the moral integrity of the scholar-officials had inspired the entire city. Led by the students, the masses gathered outside the prefectural office to petition, their numbers growing day by day. 

Prefect Huang Yankun continued to bury his head in the sand, sending constables to patrol the city, arresting people, and dispersing the leading students. But even this couldn’t stop the mounting public outcry. 

The shipbuilders had extended their strike, going so far as to destroy and burn the finished parts of the ships, refusing to leave them for the Qi people. The city’s residents, who had initially feared the Qi people, now openly resisted and despised them, and tensions only escalated further. 

The streets and alleys were in chaos, and Nan Yi had no desire to get involved. She only wanted to leave as quickly as possible. 

Amid the confusion, a fragmented voice suddenly reached her ears. 

“Madam… don’t push forward… be careful of a stampede…” 

The voice struck Nan Yi like a thunderclap, jolting her memory. 

Frantically, she turned around, desperately trying to locate the source of the voice. Fighting her way against the surging crowd, she strained to catch a glimpse of Zhang Yuehui’s face from her memories. But all she saw were strangers’ unfamiliar features as the crowd pushed and pulled around her like rushing waves. 

Disheveled, her hair loosened and her clothes in disarray, Nan Yi finally stopped, accepting reality. How could she possibly encounter Zhang Yuehui here in Lidu Prefecture? She must have misheard. 

Standing there in disappointment, she reached out to touch the jade bracelet on her wrist. Warmed by her body heat, the jade felt smooth beneath her fingers, and the image of that young man’s face resurfaced vividly in her mind. 

She missed him deeply—or rather, she missed the days when she didn’t have to live in constant fear. 

The human spirit always seeks a place to rest, and he was her last tether in this turbulent world where she had no one else to rely on. But even if she saw him again, what could she possibly say? Beg him to take her away? Who could possibly stand against the likes of Xie Que Shan, that devil? And who could guarantee safety for both of them in this chaotic world? 

As Nan Yi turned away in despair, someone suddenly grabbed her hand. 

Her heart leapt, but upon hearing Xie Suian’s familiar voice, it sank back down. 

“Sister-in-law!” 

Nan Yi turned to see a mix of anger and anxiety on Xie Suian’s face. She immediately realized that something had happened. 

When Xie Suian spoke, there was an unmistakable sorrow in her voice. 

“It’s Third Uncle… he…” 

Nan Yi followed Xie Suian’s gaze and saw a figure hanging from the city wall. From a distance, the person appeared thinly clad, covered in wounds, swaying unsteadily in the cold wind. 

Beneath the wall, a government official began to read aloud a public notice: 

“Xie Zhu, former Supervisor of the Shipbuilding Bureau, is hereby declared a traitor of the Bureau of Candlelight. He conspired to assassinate Qi emissaries and sabotage the diplomatic relations between the two nations. Such treachery cannot be tolerated! He will be displayed upon the city wall for three days before his execution!” 

Everyone had assumed that the Qi people’s recent silence meant they were bowing to public pressure and preparing to compromise. No one expected them to respond with such brutal action. For Xie Zhu, the leading scholar of Lidu Prefecture, to be strung up on the city wall in such a humiliating manner was a grave insult, igniting outrage among the people. 

Half the city had gathered at the base of the wall, loudly protesting the atrocity. 

The local constables had retreated from sight, leaving the Qi soldiers to take charge of dispersing the crowd. In Yuzhao, scholars held a revered status, and the constables were wary of roughing up the Imperial College students, often resorting to half-hearted gestures at best. The Qi soldiers, however, had no such reservations. They used real blades and shields to force the crowd back. 

As tensions escalated, blood was soon shed, and the situation spiraled out of control. 

Xie Suian’s hand gripped the soft sword at her waist so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Nan Yi had no doubt that she was seconds away from charging forward to fight the Qi soldiers to the death. 

But as a daughter of the Xie family, Xie Suian represented the stance of the aristocracy. If she were to become embroiled in the conflict, it would only worsen the situation. Nan Yi anxiously pressed down on Xie Suian’s hand, fearing her impulsiveness, and tried to drag her away from the chaos. 

Faced with such disorder, Nan Yi felt a wave of helplessness. Instinctively, she just wanted to run—take Xie Suian and flee from this uncontrollable mess. 

The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the wind as the storm loomed on the horizon.