Chapter 42

New Year’s Eve

Amid the swirling undercurrents, the long-awaited New Year’s Eve finally arrived.

The new peach charms replaced the old ones, sweeping away past misfortunes. This New Year came quietly during the most difficult of times, with everyone’s hearts filled with many hopes and wishes.

Early in the morning, the sound of wheels creaked over the cobblestones, turning from the long street at the city gate and entering the neighborhood, until a dust-covered carriage stopped at the entrance of Wang Xue Wu.

A young, elegant woman stepped out of the carriage, holding the hand of a boy around ten years old with her right hand, and cradling a sleeping little girl, curled up like a dumpling, in her arms.

The gatekeeper, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes in disbelief when he saw the newcomer.

At the same time, Nan Yi, who had been leaning over a desk, suddenly woke up with a start. A long Buddhist scripture was spread out before her.

Without time to tidy herself, she rushed out of her room in a hurry—after staying up all night, checking every word and sentence, she had finally found the traitor!

Just as she was about to go find Xie Sui’an, she noticed that the entire household was unusually stirred up, unsure of what had happened.

Xie Sui’an was also rushing frantically towards the entrance, and the two collided in the corridor.

It had been several days since they last saw each other properly, and as soon as they met, they both burst into laughter. The awkwardness between them vanished with that laughter, returning things to how they had been.

After all, they were both kind-hearted young women, and after a brief moment of hesitation, everything melted away.

Nan Yi hooked her arm through Xie Sui’an’s sleeve, puzzled. “What happened?”

Xie Sui’an’s face was filled with immense joy. “My second sister has come back!”

At this moment, Nan Yi heard voices from the front courtyard, rising in excitement and surprise.

“Lady Gantang is back!”

Xie Tang’an was the eldest daughter of the Xie family and had married into the Dingyuan Marquis’ household early on. Her husband was the younger brother of the late Empress, and naturally, she had a close relationship with the Empress. When she was granted the title of Lady, the Empress specially gave her the name “Gantang” as a mark of favor.

Nan Yi swallowed the words she was about to say. It didn’t seem appropriate to discuss the matter of the spy with Xie Sui’an at this moment. There was no need to rush on that issue.

________________________________________

Lady Gantang had returned after receiving the news of Xie Heng’s death. However, due to the turmoil of war along the way, her journey was delayed, and she had barely made it home just in time for New Year’s Eve.

Her biological mother, Xie Shi, had already passed away, but her wet nurse, Hu Shi, was still alive. Hu Shi usually stayed by the old matron’s side, taking care of her and rarely left the house, but now she was holding Lady Gantang’s hand and crying uncontrollably.

In times of chaos, family reunions were all the more precious. Even the bedridden old matron was spirited up and smiled broadly, holding her two grandsons in her arms.

The entire Xie family was immersed in the atmosphere of reunion.

Nan Yi, feeling out of place, was about to slip away to a corner when she heard Lady Gantang’s clear voice: “This must be the widow from my elder brother’s room?”

All eyes turned to Nan Yi.

Nan Yi forced a dry smile, stepped forward, and bowed to Lady Gantang.

Lady Gantang looked at her with pity. “You still look like a child, yet you’ve been left to guard the Xie family’s house alone. It must have been hard on you.”

The Xie family members looked down on her, thinking that she had climbed the social ladder and deserved the hardship. No one had ever spoken such kind words to Nan Yi, and she immediately felt a warm regard for Lady Gantang.

“I heard that you’re managing the back courtyard now?”

Nan Yi considered her words and realized that Lady Gantang might be suggesting she was going to remove her from this nominal position, so she proactively said, “Yes, but I’m rather unrefined and not fit for such an important role. Please, Lady Gantang, find someone more capable.”

“It’s fine. You can handle it. There are many trivial matters at the start of the year, and I’ll help you manage them so you can get up to speed faster.”

Her voice was calm, without haste, circling around the matter, nor was she imposing. She spoke in a composed and decisive manner, which was incredibly comfortable to listen to.

But Nan Yi was still a little confused—there were plenty of people in the Xie family, so why did she have to take on such a troublesome task?

Only Xie Sui’an seemed happy. “That’s great, Second Sister. With you here, Sister-in-law will definitely manage the back courtyard well!”

Suddenly, the noisy chatter in the hall quieted down.

It was Xie Que Shan returning.

He stood outside the hall, gazing in from a distance. He knew that his presence here didn’t quite fit the mood of the family reunion. If he entered, it might be untimely, but staying outside would seem impolite.

Everyone glanced at Xie Que Shan, then at Lady Gantang. Every time someone reunited with Xie Que Shan, there was always an awkward moment.

Though they were blood relatives, their stances were completely different. There had once been some familial affection, but now it seemed that hate far outweighed love.

Lady Gantang remained composed. She had already heard on her journey that Xie Que Shan had returned.

“Xie San, come here.”

Nan Yi’s eyes widened in surprise—she had never seen anyone speak so casually to Xie Que Shan!

Yet, Xie Que Shan showed no sign of displeasure. He obediently walked over, cupped his hands, and said, “Second Sister.”

“Since you’re back, then make sure to live well.”

The hall fell silent. No one dared to respond.

“Alright, Second Sister,” Xie Que Shan replied.

“I noticed that the guards around the house have all been replaced with soldiers from Qi,” Lady Gantang said with a smile.

When she entered, the Qi soldiers didn’t know who she was and almost tried to stop her, nearly causing a confrontation with the household servants.

Everyone held their breath, sensing a hint of tension in the air.

Lady Gantang remained calm, calling toward the door, “Tang Rong.”

After a while, Lady Gantang’s bodyguard, Tang Rong, entered, carrying a heavy wooden box.

Tang Rong placed the box on the table, opened it, and inside were neatly stacked silver coins.

Lady Gantang pushed the box toward Xie Que Shan. “This is some money for food and drink. Xie San, take it and distribute it among your Qi soldiers so they can have a good New Year.”

The implication was clear: this New Year, the Qi soldiers should leave Wang Xue Wu.

Xie Que Shan paused for a moment.

The wooden box was engraved with the seal of the Lidu estate’s money exchange, clearly something Lady Gantang had taken from there before returning. Silver notes were harder to divide, but coins were real, tangible wealth. If the Qi soldiers took the money, they would have to leave. It seemed that Lady Gantang had already planned her first course of action upon returning.

Before her arrival, no one in the Xie family had dared to act this way, or perhaps no one else had the ability to do so with such composure. Lu Jinxiu was too soft-hearted and opportunistic, Xie Sui’an was too hot-headed to back down, and the rest were either too old or too young. As for Nan Yi, she was never in a position to make decisions.

“Is there a problem?” Seeing that Xie Que Shan hadn’t replied, Lady Gantang raised her eyes and looked at him. Her expression was still smiling, but her tone had become more serious.

Everyone held their breath, waiting anxiously for Xie Que Shan’s response.

“Second Sister, this isn’t easy to handle,” Xie Que Shan said respectfully.

“That’s why I asked you to arrange it,” Lady Gantang said confidently.

“...Alright, Second Sister.”

Nan Yi was stunned—was this really Xie Que Shan? The man who dared defy even his own parents and grandparents, yet he was completely respectful toward this sister.

Could this be the power of blood relations?

—Indeed, Xie Que Shan had always been afraid of his second sister.

When Xie Que Shan was young, he was mischievous, and Xie Jun, indifferent toward his mother, paid little attention to his son. Whenever he did remember, he would discipline him harshly to assert his authority, but this had little effect on Xie Que Shan, who was naturally rebellious.

Only in front of his six-year-older second sister did he dare not act out. She was always composed, sensible, and never made mistakes. She understood the bigger picture, followed the rules, and was decisive without being overly rigid. Her dealings with her younger siblings were fair and just, which earned her the respect of everyone. If she gave a stern look, even the most mischievous siblings immediately knew their place.

This respect was ingrained in his bones.

Even today, Xie Que Shan did not dare to disregard his second sister’s words.

The members of the Xie family were secretly pleased. Finally, someone could keep Xie Que Shan, the “demon,” in check.

However, Nan Yi had a vague feeling that Lady Gantang’s sudden return was not as simple as it appeared; perhaps there was a deeper purpose behind it.

________________________________________

On this New Year’s Eve, after everyone finished their dinner, they spent a lively while together before finally dispersing.

Xie Que Shan had eaten a few bites and left early. When he wasn’t around, everyone could relax.

Nan Yi also excused herself from the table and returned to her room. The Xie family was gathered together, but it had nothing to do with her. She could only sit idly, feeling bored.

Back in her room, Nan Yi noticed a tray placed on the desk.

On the tray was a new set of clothes. She unfolded it and saw a goose-yellow short jacket made of thick material, with chrysanthemums embroidered on the placket. The matching skirt was a gold-printed skirt with white plum blossoms embroidered on it. Over the jacket was a white long robe with fur on the collar and cuffs, made entirely of satin.

Nan Yi jumped up in delight. The clothes she usually wore were hastily chosen by Lu Jinxiu from the Xie family’s storage, which, though warm, were a little shabby. But this set of clothes was clearly carefully selected and tailored to her size.

She assumed the clothes must have been a gift from Xie Sui’an, but when she glanced again at the tray, she saw a stack of rice paper under the clothes.

At the top of the paper was a strong, bold handwriting that Nan Yi could recognize only the last three characters: “Happy New Year.”

The first character was a guess, but it was likely “Xin” (new).

Nan Yi was stunned. Who else but Xie Que Shan could it be?

He had remembered that she had refused to throw away a piece of clothing stained with blood, and on New Year’s Eve, he had sent her a new set of clothes.

“Happy New Year.”

He spoke to her through the paper.

Nan Yi held the clothes and took a deep breath.

It smelled like new clothes, with the fragrance of high-quality sandalwood. She inhaled again, trying to detect any trace of his scent.

She felt certain that there was a trace.

Nan Yi felt overjoyed. On this night of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were finally falling into place.

But when her gaze casually fell on the open Buddhist scriptures on the desk, a weight settled back in her heart.

Last night, she had carefully compared all the handwriting and confirmed that the spy in Wang Xue Wu was Qiao Yin Zhi. She hadn’t had time to tell Xie Sui’an today, so she would have to discuss it with her tomorrow.

Before this, she had been observing the people in Wang Xue Wu—those who seemed suspicious or secretive—but she had never suspected Qiao Yin Zhi.

She had watched Qiao Yin Zhi’s grief and longing for Xie Heng Zai’s passing, while everyone else was busy starting their new lives. Only Qiao Yin Zhi remained stuck in the past, staying in the Huai Xu Courtyard. She was just a concubine, and no one cared about her well-being.

Everyone believed she loved Xie Heng Zai, and Nan Yi had no reason to doubt it.

But if Qiao Yin Zhi didn’t love Xie Heng Zai, why would she harbor such deep hostility toward Nan Yi? This hostility came from a genuine desire to protect her husband, not mere pretense.

Yet beneath the mask of love, Qiao Yin Zhi was a heartless spy. She had betrayed Xie Heng Zai’s most important plan.

Nan Yi even dared to say that Xie Heng Zai’s death was related to her.

Everyone wears a mask, hiding their greed, anger, ignorance, and resentment, buried deep inside. What Nan Yi could see was merely a tiny fraction, like the surface of the water.

Thinking of this, the warmth that had just started to blossom in Nan Yi’s heart was quickly extinguished.

Xie Que Shan, a man with a heart of stone, might occasionally show her some kindness or pity, but it was probably just a way to buy her loyalty. It could never be genuine.