Chapter 49

A Visitor Arrives

On the fourth day of the new year, early in the morning, Lady Gantang calmly directed the servants to busily prepare for the spring banquet.

Nan Yi had returned home just past midnight, and now, yawning, she followed Lady Gantang, keeping an eye on the woman. Despite her young age, Nan Yi couldn’t help but notice her nervousness, knowing she was hiding a huge secret. It was hard not to feel the tension in her face.

Looking at Lady Gantang, composed and calm, acting as though she were the mistress of the household, one would never suspect that she was secretly harboring a military force at Tiger Kneeling Mountain.

Nan Yi couldn’t help but wonder whether Lady Gantang’s words from yesterday had fooled Xie Que Shan.

As she thought about him, he appeared in the garden, striding purposefully.

His eyes had faint dark circles, probably a sign of a restless night.

He passed by Nan Yi and paused for a moment. Nan Yi suddenly felt a jolt of nervousness.

The trip back on the boat the night before hadn’t been eventful, but what stayed in her mind was how he had tightly held her hand, warming her cold fingers with his, until her palm grew clammy with sweat.

She knew why he did it—there was no ambiguity in his actions—but thinking back on it still made her blush.

She remembered drifting off to sleep, with a vague recollection of him holding her as they passed through the darkened corridor, placing her on the bed. His warm fingers had brushed against her face, tucking away a stray lock of hair...

When she woke up, it was dawn, and she was lying peacefully in her own room, as if the entire night had been nothing but a fading dream.

After that night, their relationship had grown subtle. The occasional shared glances, the unspoken understanding, as they silently carried their mutual secrets under the roof of the grand estate.

But outwardly, they were still the irreconcilable uncle and niece.

Xie Que Shan nodded slightly at Nan Yi, acknowledging her before walking swiftly toward Lady Gantang.

He, who was usually decisive and unyielding, stood there patiently, waiting for Lady Gantang to finish her tasks before saying, “Second Sister, I need to discuss something with you.”

Lady Gantang glanced at him, seeing his serious expression. She guessed this must be important. She gestured for a servant to bring water and clean her hands, then said, “Let’s discuss inside.”

•

Once inside the room, with the others dismissed, Xie Que Shan got straight to the point. “Second Sister, for tomorrow’s spring banquet, could you please invite one more person?”

“You are the head of the family. If you have a guest, it’s up to you to invite them,” Lady Gantang replied.

“I will invite him, but he won’t come,” Xie Que Shan said.

“Who?” Lady Gantang asked.

“Song Mu Chuan.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Lady Gantang’s gaze flicked over to him, her brow furrowing as she asked, “What are you planning to do?”

He answered bluntly, “Invite him to the banquet, drug him, then throw him on a boat and send him away from Lidu Prefecture.”

He didn’t have the time or patience to send a messenger to plead with Song Mu Chuan. He couldn’t afford to waste time on negotiations; this was the quickest and most effective solution.

Upon hearing this brutal and crude plan, Lady Gantang, enraged, threw the tea in her hand at his face. “Xie Chao En, have you lost your mind?!”

“I haven’t lost my mind,” he said darkly, allowing the tea to drip down his face.

The empty teacup was slammed onto the table, signaling that Lady Gantang had run out of patience. She issued an order, “Leave!”

Xie Que Shan remained seated, unaffected.

Lady Gantang took a deep breath to calm herself, staring at him, waiting to see what he would say next.

“Second Sister,” he began, but then his voice caught in his throat.

He raised a hand to wipe away the tea stains from his face and gave a self-deprecating smile.

“The Xie family owes me, and I owe the Xie family. This debt will never be settled in this lifetime. Whatever you’re doing, whatever plans you have, I can turn a blind eye, but if one day the Qi people force me to open my eyes, I will. Second Sister, do you understand?”

Lady Gantang’s expression faltered. She tried to maintain her composure, but there was a flicker of disbelief in her eyes, and her voice trembled slightly. “The Qi people want you to kill your own family, and you’ll do it?”

Xie Que Shan didn’t speak for a long time, tacitly accepting her words.

Lady Gantang was momentarily stunned. No matter how calm she was in handling affairs, this rebellious statement still struck her hard. She sank back into her chair, speechless.

“But Song Qi, he owes me nothing. My blade can point at anyone in this world, except for him. Lidu Prefecture is not a place he can stir up trouble in. He must leave.”

This statement, however, was more shocking than anything else he had said before.

It wasn’t unusual for a villain to declare how they would massacre people in the future. But for a villain to say they have someone they want to protect—that there is a soft spot in their heart—it was far more lethal.

Lady Gantang looked at Xie Que Shan. After returning home, although she hadn’t spoken about it, she had tried to observe her third brother through any small traces or clues. Yet, to her dismay, she realized she couldn’t read him at all.

He was always meticulous, leaving no trace behind.

Yet, in this moment, he had completely laid bare his sharp stance before her, without any attempt to cover it up.

But Lady Gantang realized that all those harsh words were just armor he put on for himself, and beneath them, what he was truly expressing was his fear.

She sat there, dejected, processing every word he had said. In the end, she nodded in acknowledgment.

________________________________________

The fifth day of the new year was clear and sunny.

A carriage pulled up on the street of Jiangyue Lane, where the Xie family’s servants politely invited Song Mu Chuan out of a humble thatched house.

Lady Gantang was sitting inside the carriage. To ensure that Song Mu Chuan would come, she personally made the trip.

It was indeed a bit of a surprise for Song Mu Chuan. However, with his keen mind, he immediately unraveled the purpose behind the invitation.

Lady Gantang had invited him to the spring banquet, which was most likely Xie Que Shan’s request. It seemed that the last time Xie Que Shan had told him to leave Lidu Prefecture, he hadn’t been joking.

Once Xie Que Shan made a move, he was usually confident in his success. Now that the situation was leaning in his favor, he couldn’t refuse Lady Gantang’s invitation.

After only a brief moment of thought, Song Mu Chuan came up with a plan. He respectfully bowed toward the carriage and said, “Thank you, Lady Gantang, for your kind invitation. However, it would be improper to visit the Xie family without bringing something. Please wait a moment while I buy some wine.”

Lady Gantang, knowing that Song Mu Chuan was a man of fine taste, understood that he wouldn’t accept such a request without offering something in return. She patiently agreed, telling him not to spend too much.

Song Mu Chuan went to Huazhao Pavilion to buy two jars of fine wine before boarding the Xie family’s carriage.

The street was not busy, but everyone who saw the Xie family’s carriage recognized it, and they couldn’t help but look on with curiosity.

This scene was noticed by Chang Yan, the head of Huazhao Pavilion. After watching the carriage leave, she hurriedly turned and left.

________________________________________

Song Mu Chuan had only occasionally appeared in the sights of Gui Lai Hall, and Zhang Yuehui considered him nothing more than a self-exiled waste, not worth much attention.

He had been hiding in the streets, showing no intention of reconnecting with anyone from his past, and now suddenly visiting the Xie family, which was suspicious.

At Huazhao Pavilion, amidst the lively singing and dancing, the sound of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air. Zhang Yuehui sat behind a curtain in a private room on the second floor, stroking his chin as he pondered for a while.

“Song Mu Chuan is the son of the former Minister of Works, and he was taught in the Mohist school of thought. He is a master of mechanical construction. He knows how to build ships, and Wanyan Jun needs shipbuilders. This news should be worth quite a bit.”

“But didn’t the master say last time that this person can’t be used?”

“Last time, he was considered dead, but he didn’t die when he jumped into the river. Escaping death might have changed his mindset.”

“But his old-fashioned scholar’s stance may not be willing to work for the Qi people.”

Zhang Yuehui shrugged. “We only sell information. Whether or not he’s willing to work for them or which side he chooses to support is none of our concern.”

The music stopped, and after a dance, loud applause came from downstairs. Zhang Yuehui reclined in his seat, lifting the transparent silk curtain in front of him.

“Well done!” The young master joined in the applause, then tossed a handful of silver notes into the air, scattering them like confetti. The crowd below scrambled to catch them.

It was like a stone being thrown into the water, causing ripples. People fought over the silver notes, their eyes reddened with greed, and a chaotic scene ensued.

Zhang Yuehui watched from above, thoroughly amused.

“This pond needs to be stirred up, so we can earn more profit.”

________________________________________

In Wang Xue Wu, Nan Yi had already been buried in a myriad of trivial matters. She vaguely overheard the maidservants talking about a guest arriving at the house and that Lady Gantang was currently accompanying people to visit the Grand Matriarch to pay their respects for the new year.

She couldn’t care less about matters that didn’t require her involvement. She was busy in the garden, at the Yixuan Pavilion. When the group left the Grand Matriarch’s Songhe Hall, they would stop by Yixuan Pavilion to have tea and chat, and the formal banquet would begin in the evening.

Nan Yi raised her head, only to find that the maidservants around her had all disappeared. The large pavilion was now empty, except for her.

She was used to it. As long as she wasn’t in Lady Gantang’s line of sight, the maidservants would only act if given direct orders. Most of the time, they simply looked down on her and left her to deal with things on her own. Perhaps they were just waiting for her to fail.

But Nan Yi didn’t mind too much. It wasn’t that she liked being bullied, but rather that she knew deep down that she and these people were simply not on the same path.

But if you asked her which path she was on, Nan Yi wouldn’t be able to answer either.

Lost in thought for a moment, her sleeve brushed against the edge of the table, knocking a porcelain plate to the ground. She hastily reached out to steady it, but the pastries inside spilled out and scattered on the floor.

The delicate pastries were now a mess on the ground, and Nan Yi felt a pang of heartache. Looking around and seeing no one, she hesitated for a moment before squatting down to pick up the mostly intact pastries. She dusted off the dirt and ate them without any hesitation, not minding at all.

The freshly baked pastries were, of course, delicious. If any of the other maidservants had seen her, they would have surely thrown the pastries away in disgust. Nan Yi, however, had grown accustomed to not having enough to eat and couldn’t bear to see food go to waste.

However, having spent so much time in Wang Xue Wu, Nan Yi knew that such petty behavior, if seen by others, would surely be ridiculed both openly and behind her back. So, with her mouth full, she quickly picked up the fallen pastries and ate them.

She ate nervously, so much so that she didn’t notice footsteps approaching. When she heard them, panic gripped her heart, and she hurriedly hid behind the screen, wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth, and hastily swallowed the remaining pastries.

But deep down, she knew this was just a futile attempt to cover up. The person approaching could clearly see her actions. This time, she would surely be looked down upon again.

However, the footsteps only stopped outside the screen and didn’t come any closer.

“Madam.”

That familiar voice… Nan Yi froze, looking at the screen, where a slender male figure was reflected. She was about to speak, but her throat caught with a lump.

As if he could sense her thoughts, his voice came again, polite and clear: “Madam, I will speak from outside.”

Nan Yi poured herself a cup of water, moistening her throat and calming herself before answering, “Young Master Song?”

“It’s me, Madam. I’ve come to find you.”

“Find me for what?” Nan Yi asked, both surprised and curious.

Through the screen, the sunlight outlined his figure clearly.

Song Mu Chuan’s voice was bright and clear: “When Madam saved me by the river last time, I dropped something. I’ve gone to retrieve it. When we met last time in a rush, I forgot to bring it with me, so today I’ve specifically brought it to return to Madam.”

“Really?” Nan Yi’s voice brightened instantly. She thought the inkstone given to her by Sister Qiu had been lost in the river when she saved Song Mu Chuan. At the time, she hadn’t thought she would ever get it back, and she vaguely remembered feeling disappointed. After returning home, she had felt guilty for a long time, especially whenever she saw Sister Qiu.

She hadn’t said a word about it, yet Song Mu Chuan had realized it was her lost item and had specially gone to retrieve it. He was truly thoughtful.

“Young Master Song, I was afraid if I asked someone else to give it to Madam, it might be seen as a private transaction, which could tarnish Madam’s reputation. So, I came to the back garden to avoid others.”

Hearing this, Nan Yi restrained the impulse to rush out from behind the screen and take the item. She first expressed her gratitude: “It’s something very important to me. Thank you, Young Master Song.”

“Madam is too polite. I’ve left the item outside, please remember to take it. Regarding the money Madam gave me last time...” Song Mu Chuan hesitated for a moment, then tucked the purse back into his sleeve and lied, “When I have the money, I will repay it with both the principal and the interest. I am truly ashamed, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Song Mu Chuan was no longer financially struggling. He wasn’t unable to repay the money Nan Yi had given him. But he suddenly had an inexplicable desire to keep some connection with her, thinking that by owing her money, he might have another chance to speak with her next time.

“Ah, as for the money, forget about it...”

Before Nan Yi could finish speaking, the figure behind the screen quickly disappeared.

Nan Yi carefully walked out, picked up the embroidered pouch from the ground, and took out the inkstone, inspecting it over and over, unwilling to put it down. The joy of recovering something lost lit up her face.

More than that, she felt touched—touched by Song Mu Chuan’s thoughtfulness, and his silent consideration.

Since he had already come to the back garden, there was no need for them to meet through the screen. He clearly knew she would be embarrassed if someone saw her picking up food from the ground. By not entering, he spared her the awkwardness.

He was like a soft spring rain, nurturing everything subtly.

However, this scene was interpreted differently in the eyes of Xie Que Shan, who was watching from a distance.

Song Mu Chuan had actually gone to the back garden by himself to deliver something to Nan Yi. Was he bringing her an inkstone?

Had their relationship already reached this point?

Xie Que Shan stood at the end of the corridor, waiting for Song Mu Chuan.

When Song Mu Chuan approached, he didn’t seem surprised upon seeing him. He paused briefly but had nothing to say. There was no need for sharp words, sarcasm, or veiled threats between them—after all, they were long-time friends. Since he had come to attend the banquet, Xie Que Shan could make the first move.

With no expression of joy or sorrow, Song Mu Chuan merely gave a casual salute and passed him, leaving without further words.

Xie Que Shan’s brows furrowed, forming a peak.

He had secretly entered the back garden of Wang Xue Wu without giving the head of the household an explanation? How could he be so bold? And he had the nerve to be a scholar!

Xie Que Shan was inexplicably angry, but he suppressed his irritation. It didn’t matter—no matter what tricks Song Mu Chuan was playing, after today, he would be able to send him away.

He Pei, standing to the side, watched the changing expressions on his master’s face, feeling somewhat confused. Clearly, the master cared deeply about Young Master Song, otherwise, he wouldn’t have hurriedly arranged for him to leave. Yet, seeing the stormy expression on Xie Que Shan’s face now, it seemed like he was angry. But they hadn’t said anything to each other...

Before He Pei could figure it out, Xie Que Shan flicked his sleeve and strode off in the opposite direction.