I was taken aback. There was a hidden meaning in his words.
“Your meaning is… this case is not to be overturned?”
He swallowed the last bite of pastry, strolled to the window, opened it, and propped it up. Night wind poured in, carrying the scent of rain-soaked earth and fresh grass. I tightened my greatcloak.
He looked into the courtyard, smiled, and said, “Don’t be anxious, Sister. This case must certainly be overturned. If it is not overturned, how can Factory Superintendent Cao’s guilt be sealed? His Majesty hates being deceived above all else. The Eastern Depot is His Majesty’s direct confidant. Deception by a confidant is far less tolerable than deception by a minister. Whether one is an Imperial Commissioner or a death row prisoner hangs solely upon His Majesty’s pleasure or wrath.”
He turned his head. “The question is, how should this case be overturned, and how deeply should it be probed. Sister, do you understand my meaning?”
Cold wind brushed my face. Looking at his smile of unfathomable meaning, I gradually caught his drift.
Why had he appeared in Yangzhou last time?
How deeply had he been involved in the Eastern Depot’s collusion with the Jiang-Huai officials to frame Xun Liangdao?
He needed testimony.
But testimony that left him spotless.
It didn’t matter how many people fell into the river—he had to get ashore.
Not only get ashore, but he needed to use this to claim merit.
The greatest merit of all.
“Sister, the written accusation reached the capital via a Cheng family cargo ship. You should know clearly who smuggled it aboard?” He looked at me.
I remained silent.
“And that Miss Xun who wrote the accusation—the orphaned daughter of Master Xun—she has been missing for quite some time. Where exactly did she go? When the case is overturned, might she not say things unfavorable to me? All this… remains to be discussed.”
I said, “Huaishi only wanted to help Master Xun overturn the case. He would never oppose you.”
Feng Gao drew close to me.
“Why is Sister so certain? How much do you truly know of your new husband?”
Magistrate Liu arrived carrying foot-washing water.
Feng Gao promptly sat in a chair. In the blink of an eye, his face became strange again. Gloomy. Cold. As if he wore a mask.
Magistrate Liu bent down and removed his shoes and socks.
“Eunuch Feng, is the water too hot?” Magistrate Liu asked carefully.
Feng Gao ignored him and said only, “The eldest Cheng son is spineless. Once in prison, he spat out everything he knew. Ten grain ships entered the canal and reached the capital, only to find the holds filled with stone. Where did the official grain go? The eldest Cheng son claims he acted out of fear of Factory Superintendent Cao and Magistrate Liu’s tyranny—that night, he withdrew all the canal transport soldiers. He himself, he says, knew nothing. At worst, he is incompetent and derelict in duty—nothing warranting decapitation.”
I turned and walked out.
The food box remained on the table.
Feng Gao said, “Rest assured, Sister. No matter what becomes of the Cheng family, I will not let you come to harm.”
My departure seemed to sting him.
He called out “Sister—” twice in succession.
I exited the prefectural yamen and sighed.
This case ran too deep.
Where was Cheng Huaishi now?
Could he come and collude with Feng Gao to align their testimony?
He was so stubborn and unyielding—not someone who seemed able to bow his head to preserve himself.
Yet when the water is too clear, there are no fish; when a man is too scrutinizing, he has no followers. One must leave some ambiguity in all things to preserve oneself.
The night sky held no stars.
Only layers of darkness.
Like a pool of ink flowing through my heart. I dipped into it, yet could write out nothing sensible.
The carriage drove toward the Cheng residence.
At Bright Moon Lake, the carriage stopped.
Hehua said to me, “Second Young Madam, a young lady has stopped our carriage.”
I lifted the curtain and saw a young lady in black looking at me. She wore a white cord in her hair—she should be in mourning. An oval face without powder or rouge. A pair of eyes shimmering with mournful light. Delicate. Refined.
My heart stirred: her appearance might be a turning point.
Seeing me, she curtsied: “Madam Cheng.”
I alighted from the carriage and returned the courtesy: “Miss Xun.”
She said, “How did Madam Cheng know it was me?”
I said, “I heard of your name before meeting your person. I have no relatives or friends in Yangzhou Prefecture. The only one who would seek me out at such a time is Miss Xun.”
She walked with me, shoulder to shoulder, toward the lake.
She said, “When the moon is out, Bright Moon Lake is at its most beautiful. Of all the moonlight under heaven, two parts of three shine alone upon Yangzhou. Unfortunately, there is no moon tonight. Madam Cheng will miss the beautiful sight.”
“There will be other days. As long as the bright moon lives in one’s heart, it is enough.”
I looked at her. “Miss Xun, you did not come to me for a lake excursion, did you? If you have something to say, speak plainly.”
“Madam Cheng, Second Master has already done so much for me, for my father. Today, I heard the Eastern Depot went to the Cheng residence. My heart has been hanging in suspense. I truly cannot bear to see the Cheng family implicated because of me. I am willing to go to the Eastern Depot and explain things clearly. The written accusation was written by me; I secretly smuggled it aboard the cargo ship. It has nothing to do with Second Master, nothing to do with the Cheng family.” As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes.
I thought for a moment, then tactfully conveyed Feng Gao’s earlier meaning to her.
Things were not as terrible as she thought.
But the details of overturning the case required careful deliberation.
Master Xun was gone. As his orphaned daughter, her testimony was crucial.
What Feng Gao wanted was the “merit” of solving the case and his “innocence” in His Majesty’s eyes.
She listened, keeping her head lowered for a long while. “Though I deeply hate the Eastern Depot and disdain to associate with them, when one is beneath a low eave, one must bow one’s head. My father’s innocence is what matters. I am willing to do as Madam Cheng says. Only…”
She paused. “You must not tell Second Master. He has risked death time and again and has rushed about for this matter for so long—he cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eye. If he knew that bowing to the Eastern Depot was needed to exchange for safety, he would never agree.”
I fell silent.
The carriage returned to the yamen.
I took Miss Xun to see Feng Gao.
Magistrate Liu was already gone.
Feng Gao reclined on a large lounge chair. Seeing I had come again, he quickly rose and said urgently, “Sister, are you angry with me?”
I said softly, “Whether I am angry with you or not—what does it matter? What matters is that this matter ends smoothly.”
He hugged the food box I had left behind. “No, Sister not being angry with me is what matters most. If anyone else makes Sister angry, I will kill them.”
His thin lips carried a peach-like hue.
He spoke such obviously bloody words with such childishness.
As if the word “kill” were nothing but an ordinary game to him.
I pointed at Miss Xun and said with a stern expression, “Feng Gao, stop playing. Miss Xun has come to discuss the finer details of overturning the case.”
He retreated two steps, set down the food box, and sized up Miss Xun guardedly.
Miss Xun saluted him with neither humility nor arrogance.
That night, they discussed for several hours.
They finished only at midnight.
Feng Gao indicated whom he wished her to accuse—those he wanted to implicate.
Feng Gao indicated whom he did not wish her to accuse—those he wanted to protect.
In Miss Xun’s testimony, Feng Gao became a great loyal minister untainted by even a speck of dust.
The testimony was settled.
When leaving the yamen, there was no joy on Miss Xun’s face. It was as if, because of Feng Gao, the “innocence” she had long thirsted for had been chipped. Yet she had no choice but to proceed thus.
She said to me, “Second Master is a clear breeze—hard to find another like him in this world.”
I returned to the residence and did not sleep the whole night.
I simply sat at my desk and painted peonies.
Stroke by stroke, entwined and tangled.
The “Xun Liangdao” case once again shook Yangzhou Prefecture.
Magistrate Liu and more than ten officials were taken to the capital.
Xun Liangdao’s grievous wrong was redressed; notices were posted throughout the city.
The seals on the Xun residence were torn off; Miss Xun was able to return home.
The Cheng family’s eldest son, Cheng Cangshi, was stripped of his canal transport military officer position for “dereliction of duty and fear of superiors.” But at least his life was safe. He was released back to the residence.
And Cheng Huaishi could finally return home openly and honorably.
The day he returned, the entire household was shocked.
The servants shouted, “The second young master has returned from the dead!”
Everyone in the household came out into the courtyard. Cheng Huaishi walked toward the Old Madame, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times: “Mother.”
The Old Madame pulled him up, touched his hands, his face, and after confirming he truly lived, hugged him and wept aloud: “My son, as long as you live, as long as you live…”
Everyone was bewildered.
In the eastern courtyard, the elder brother who had lost his post was sulking, and his wife smashed a teacup.
Hearing the sounds, Cheng Huaishi feared the Old Madame would be grieved, and said, “Your son will from now on study diligently. Next year in the imperial examinations, I will certainly win scholarly honor and restore the Cheng family’s prestige.”
The Old Madame nodded, fingering her prayer beads. “Good, good. Huaishi’s great ambition brings much comfort to Mother’s heart.”
Cheng Huaishi supported the Old Madame to the northern courtyard and accompanied her in conversation for quite a while.
Whatever the Old Madame asked, he answered in detail, only concealing the various perils within.
After a while, the Old Madame pointed at me and said, “Huaishi, while you were away, Mother took a wife for you. She is Sangyu of the Zhu family from Dongchang Prefecture, betrothed to you by your late grandfather when you were young.”
Cheng Huaishi walked toward me, bowed, and called out, “Madam.”
My heart beat rapidly. My earlobes burned hot.
Once again, he was this close to me.
I smelled the scent of autumn wild tea on him, as if an eternity had passed.
Several of Cheng Huaishi’s fellow scholar classmates heard he was alive and came to the residence to find him.
He went forward to greet them and treated them with courtesy.
I walked out of the residence gate, boarded the carriage, and went to the river crossing.
Today was the day Feng Gao returned to the capital.
He stood at the crossing, not boarding the boat, as if waiting for someone.
Seeing me, he smiled. “Sister—”
“I… came to see you off. Thank you for sparing my husband,” I said.
This was the second time I had seen him off at the river crossing.
He stood with hands behind his back in the sunset.
His jade-like face was bathed in soft light.
“Sister, do you still remember the Guangyue Tower in Dongchang Prefecture?” he suddenly said.
I smiled. “I remember. It was very prosperous, a lively place.”
He shook his head.
After a few pleasantries, he boarded the boat.
Just as the boat departed, he said sorrowfully, “Sister, do you truly not remember me?”