“It was you?” I said.
So the person I saved that day had been from the Eastern Depot.
No wonder his voice had been so distinctive.
An indescribable softness and effeminacy.
He tucked the horsetail whisk in his hand and said leisurely, “It was me. If not for Elder Sister’s rescue, I would never have made it back to the capital. More likely than not, I would have become some nameless ghost here in Yangzhou Prefecture. How could there be the Feng Gao who now serves His Majesty?”
He took a step back and drew a tiger token from his robes. On it were written several large characters: Imperially Appointed Eunuch Commissioner Overseeing Eastern Depot Affairs.
It seemed that after Feng Gao returned to the capital, he had risen in power.
Even his attire was different from before.
The Old Madam, the First Young Madam, and the others in the household all showed astonishment on their faces. Never had they imagined that I could have any connection to such an important figure of the Eastern Depot.
The Old Madam forced a smile and said, “Since Eunuch Feng is acquainted with my daughter-in-law, then you are one of our own. Please come inside and have a cup of tea.”
As she spoke, she gave the steward a look, signaling him to prepare silver.
Feng Gao waved his hand. “There is no need for tea. Today, I have come to your residence for two reasons. First, to see Elder Sister. Second, I have official business—”
He raised his voice and said, “The petition hidden aboard the Cheng family’s cargo vessel has already been presented before the Son of Heaven. His Majesty wishes to reinvestigate the case of the former grain circuit intendant, Xun Jing. We have now been ordered to come to Yangzhou to conduct the inquiry. I must trouble Lord Cheng Cangshi, fifth-rank chiliarch of the grain-transport troops, to come with us!”
The Eldest Young Master had just crossed the threshold and was returning home.
The yamen was closed for rest today, and he had taken a few pages to the market to buy the Old Madam’s favorite sauced duck.
Several young eunuchs moved swiftly and bound him.
The sauced duck fell to the ground.
At the sight, the First Young Madam began to sob.
The Old Madam hurriedly said, “Eunuch Feng, could there be some misunderstanding? My son has always been diligent…”
Feng Gao’s expression turned stern. “Is the Old Madam questioning His Majesty?”
The Old Madam bowed. “This old woman would never dare.”
Feng Gao said, “Rest assured. On account of Elder Sister, I will see that Lord Cheng suffers a little less. Once the case is investigated clearly, whatever should be done will be done.”
He walked toward me again, took a small box from his sleeve, and handed it to me. With a wickedly charming smile, he said, “Elder Sister, I brought you some rouge balm from the capital.”
With that, he left.
The small box lay in my palm, still carrying a trace of warmth.
It was as though the sky had collapsed over the Cheng residence.
The First Young Madam collapsed to the ground in tears, calling after the figure disappearing beyond the gate, “Cangshi, Cangshi…”
The brutal tortures of the Eastern Depot were known throughout the realm.
There were eighteen kinds of torture implements alone. Finger clamps, head hoops, horse-stopping cudgels, nail-piercing devices… Just hearing their names sent a chill down one’s spine.
Officials who fell into the hands of the Eastern Depot almost never came out whole.
The Old Madam fingered her prayer beads and kept murmuring, “The second son only just died, and now something has happened to the eldest. Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, what is happening to the Cheng family?”
I wanted to step forward and comfort her.
But the Old Madam’s body lurched, and she fainted.
Everyone hurriedly carried her into the main room of the north courtyard. Some brought water, some called for a physician.
I knelt by the bed and attended to her.
The physician arrived and said that grief and rage had attacked her heart. He prescribed several doses of medicine. The maids decocted it, and I fed it to the Old Madam one spoonful at a time.
Only after a long while did the Old Madam weakly open her eyes.
She looked at me by the bedside and called, “Sangyu—”
The First Young Madam wiped her tears with a handkerchief as she said, “Mother, you know that Cangshi works at the yamen and rarely involves himself in business matters. These past few days, he has not even gone to the shop counter. Even if the Cheng family’s cargo vessel truly carried a petition in secret, it has nothing to do with Cangshi. Mother ought to ask Sister Zhu, and that Wu Bi as well, just how they brought this disaster upon us…”
The Old Madam cut her off. “Yuzhen, now is not the time for infighting. We are one family. We must think of how to weather this difficulty together.”
The First Young Madam fell silent, but her face was still full of resentment.
The Old Madam sighed. “Sangyu, you are acquainted with Eunuch Feng. You must put more effort into your elder brother’s matter. Our family cannot be without a male heir…”
As she spoke, tears rolled down the Old Madam’s face.
From beneath the bedding, she solemnly took out a black wooden box. When she opened it, two enormous pearls inside emitted a dazzling radiance.
“These are the Cheng family heirlooms. Take them and give them to Eunuch Feng. Say more soft words to him. If he wants silver, then no matter how much, find a way to gather it from the shop accounts. No matter when, people are more important than wealth.”
“Mother…”
“Take them.” The Old Madam’s words carried authority.
I accepted them. After thinking for a moment, I said, “Mother, do not be anxious. We still do not know whether this matter is fortune or calamity. Think about it—Lord Xun was beheaded, yet His Majesty has now ordered the case to be reinvestigated. Does that not mean he intends to overturn the verdict? It means His Majesty suspects Lord Xun was wronged. Once that is confirmed to be true, the person who submitted the petition will not only be innocent, but meritorious.”
The Old Madam said, “What do you know of officialdom? Black and white can reverse in an instant. Have there been few people unjustly killed by the Eastern Depot? Lord Xun’s case is not so simple. This reinvestigation may well be nothing more than a show. Too many people are implicated within.”
A dark shadow flashed through my heart.
If this time, too, the injustice could not be cleared… Cheng Huaishi would likely never be able to return openly and honorably… and perhaps even his life would be in danger…
Dark clouds pressed down for half a day.
Winter rain arrived at last, late and slow.
Raindrops struck the tiles, pattering noisily.
The Old Madam said, “Illness comes like a mountain collapsing. Sangyu, now that I have fallen ill, I do not know when I will recover. This household will be left for the time being to you and your eldest sister-in-law. The two of you must work together with one heart.”
She closed her eyes.
I bowed and took my leave. “Mother, please rest and recover well. Your daughter-in-law will go first.”
When I stepped out beneath the eaves, Hehua was silently waiting for me with an open umbrella.
The First Young Madam was hurrying out with several household guards.
I had no idea what she intended to do.
Not long after I returned to the west courtyard, a page came in to report, “Second Young Madam, the First Young Madam has ordered someone to tie up Shopkeeper Wu. She says the Eldest Young Master was taken away by the Eastern Depot because of him, and that she wants to send him off to be punished.”
With a crash, the water basin in Hehua’s hands fell to the ground.
Water splashed everywhere.
This was the first time I had seen the cold-faced Hehua lose her composure.
She hurriedly picked up the basin and wiped the floor without saying a word.
I rose and said to the page, “Let us go see.”
In the rain, the First Young Madam was having Wu Bi bound and dragged toward the yamen.
I shouted, “Stop!”
The First Young Madam smiled without smiling. “What? Am I not even allowed to punish a servant?”
“Mother only just said there must be no infighting. Eldest Sister-in-law is already taking the knife to one of our own? Even if Shopkeeper Wu is to be punished, Mother must be informed first.”
She paid no attention to my words and continued walking forward.
After considering for a moment, I said, “Eldest Sister-in-law, what use is there in rashly sending Shopkeeper Wu to the yamen like this? Do you think they would agree to let you trade a shop assistant for Elder Brother? Better that I take him privately to Eunuch Feng and plead for mercy. Shopkeeper Wu knows every detail of the shop’s affairs. Perhaps he can explain things clearly to Eunuch Feng.”
The First Young Madam stopped. “Truly?”
I nodded heavily.
Only then was Wu Bi released.
He looked at me gratefully.
I glanced at Hehua beside me. Her face showed not the slightest ripple, but her clenched hands had clearly relaxed.
From beginning to end, she had not looked at Wu Bi once.
Like a still pond over which no great wind had ever blown.
I brought Wu Bi to the shop on East Street.
Several shop assistants said to me, “Second Young Madam, the carts of goods sent to Taixing today did not bring back any banknotes. Somehow, the other party heard the news. They know our Eldest Young Master is in trouble and has been taken away by the Eastern Depot… In the past, with the Eldest Young Master around, everyone gave the Cheng family some face. Never before has anyone delayed payment on such a large shipment…”
I was still thinking over what should be done when a noisy crowd surged in from outside the shop.
“Hand over the silver!”
Those people shouted.
Hehua stood in front of me as a shield, watching the crowd warily.
Wu Bi said quietly to me, “That one is from Hongyun Restaurant. That one is from the pleasure house. The one at the very edge is from Huameng Zhao… They are all places the Eldest Young Master liked to frequent.”
All of them were brothels and houses of pleasure.
I understood.
When a wall is about to fall, everyone gives it a push.
Ordinarily, for a great customer like the Eldest Young Master, it was enough to put the expenses on account and settle them at the New Year or festivals.
Today, they had judged that the Cheng residence was about to fall. Afraid that if they came one step too late they would not be able to collect their money, they had hurriedly gathered here to demand payment.
I said to Wu Bi, “Check the accounts with them. If they are indeed the Eldest Young Master’s debts, then settle them.”
Wu Bi looked troubled. Leaning close to my ear, he said, “Second Young Madam, there is something you do not know. A few days ago, the Second Master withdrew a large sum of silver from me to smooth matters over. There is not much left on the books that can be moved. We originally thought we would be able to collect several payments from Taixing today, but then this happened… The Old Madam does not know about these expenses of the Eldest Young Master’s. In the past, he would find a way to fill the deficit himself. But now…”
I looked at the crowd.
As they said, debts of pleasure were the most disgraceful.
No matter what, we could not let them make a spectacle of it.
I lowered my head and was still hesitating over whether to take the pearls the Old Madam had given me today to a pawnshop and pledge them for some emergency funds, when a thick stack of banknotes appeared before my eyes.
Qin Mingxu had come in at some unknown time.
He held the banknotes out to me.
I refused to take them.
He pressed them into my hand and said, “Pay me back whenever you like. So long as I am here, so long as I have it.”