Chapter 140

Chapter 140

[Isn’t the Villain Tempting? Not Really – 10]

Yu Sixian had brought Bai Lu back himself and assigned servants especially to her. When she gave the order, none of them dared delay. They immediately seized Zhou Shuhui by the sleeves and dragged her toward the door.

Panic and fear seized Zhou Shuhui, though she tried to hide them behind a show of bluster. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“I’m a guest of your young lord!” she declared.

Bai Lu planted her hands on her hips and sneered. “You’re faithless, unfilial, and full of lies. What kind of damned guest does that make you?”

Then she urged the servants to hurry and throw Zhou Shuhui out.

They had not yet dragged her through the gates when one of Yu Sixian’s trusted aides spotted them.

He knew Zhou Shuhui’s identity and knew that Yu Sixian planned to use her reputation as the loyal daughter of a martyred official to further certain schemes. Seeing her about to be tossed out, he hurried over to stop them. Once he had learned what happened, his head began to ache. He ordered the servants to keep Zhou Shuhui there for the moment, then rushed off to report to Yu Sixian.

“Bai Lu ordered them to throw Zhou Shuhui out?”

Yu Sixian took a sip of tea. “Why?” he asked with interest.

The aide recounted what he had learned. “Miss Bai may be young, but she’s quick-witted. She noticed the holes in Zhou Shuhui’s story and found someone to test her just now. The moment Zhou Shuhui gave herself away, Miss Bai flew into a rage and ordered that liar driven out.”

Yu Sixian chuckled. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Zhou Shuhui will be useful. Don’t let Bai Lu actually throw her out. Find some place to settle her. One thing, though-have her watched closely. Don’t let her escape.”

The aide respectfully acknowledged the order. Just before leaving, he remembered something and turned back. Choosing his words carefully, he said, “My lord, Zhou Shuhui is timid, cowardly, and foolish. Naturally, she can be used. But Miss Bai is different. She agreed to come to Jingzhou with you because she believed your story-that her father saved your life. If she ever learns the truth about how her father died, I’m afraid…”

Yu Sixian had invented that lie to coax Bai Lu into traveling with him because he found her amusing-a precocious little thing he could keep nearby to relieve his boredom. After spending some time with her, however, he had truly begun to like her.

Now, hearing his aide’s warning and imagining Bai Lu breaking with him once she learned the truth, his face darkened and his gaze turned razor-sharp. “Didn’t I say no one was ever to mention what happened back then?”

The aide’s heart trembled beneath that stare, and he silently regretted saying too much. “This subordinate misspoke. Please forgive me, my lord.”

Frost seemed to veil Yu Sixian’s face. He stared coldly at the man for a long moment before finally saying, “Leave.”

As though pardoned from death, the aide bowed deeply and hurried away with his head lowered.

Prince Su’s residence was vast enough to race horses through, but no estate was so large that news could not eventually leak from one end to the other.

When Bai Lu learned that Yu Sixian had kept Zhou Shuhui, she could not understand it. “She’s a liar! She even slandered her own grandmother!”

Yu Sixian smiled. “I have a use for her.”

Changing the subject, Bai Lu said, “I have studied before. My teachers all praised me for being clever!”

Bai Lu continued in her crisp voice, “Yu Sixian, find me two teachers for reading and writing, and two more to teach me martial arts. Don’t pick just anyone. I won’t have someone with a few cheap tricks pretending they’re good enough to teach me!”

Yu Sixian was astonished. “Reading and writing, I understand. But why would a little girl like you want to learn martial arts?”

Bai Lu lifted her chin proudly. “My father was a great hero. How could a great hero’s daughter not know how to fight? Have you heard of Lady Zhu, the wife of that Great General in the capital? She’s my inspiration!”

Brilliant sunlight streamed through the window and fell across her face, turning its fine downy hairs to threads of gold.

Yu Sixian smiled without realizing it. Deliberately exaggerating his awe, he said, “So your ambitions are that grand. I am humbled indeed!”

His praise left Bai Lu floating with delight. She held her head high and basked in it for a long while before suddenly asking, “Do you know why my name is Bai Lu?”

Without waiting for him to shake his head, she supplied the answer herself. “Because I was born in autumn, on the day of White Dew. While my mother was carrying me, she heard about Lady Zhu’s heroic defense of the city in her father’s place and admired her greatly. So she named me Bai Lu. She said the name makes people think of autumn, when all things wither and a killing chill fills heaven and earth. It sounds just like the name of a wandering heroine!”

Yu Sixian knew that Bai Lu’s mother had been a young lady from an official family. Hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched. “Your mother truly did… whatever occurred to her.”

Bai Lu rolled her eyes at him. “I like my name. And when I grow up, I’m going to be a wandering heroine who upholds justice!”

The sight of her brimming with such energy made Yu Sixian want to smile again.

At last, he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Very well. I’ll find you two of the finest martial-arts masters, as long as you aren’t afraid of hardship.”

Bai Lu’s eyes shone like stars. “Of course I’m not afraid. How could a great hero’s daughter fear hardship?”

…

When Zhou Shuhui disappeared, Madam Zhou’s dowry retainers and the rest of the escort were thrown into a panic. They split into groups and searched both directions along the official road. They failed to find Zhou Shuhui herself, but discovered the bodies of the bandits instead.

A gold collar lay in the grass-the very one Zhou Shuhui had been wearing around her neck.
The dowry retainer was so frightened that her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. Her face bloodless, she hurried away to find help.

The Zhou Family was an eminent house, so the post station dared not take the matter lightly. Its staff rushed to notify the authorities and sent men to examine the scene for any clues that might have been left behind.

Not much time had passed between Zhou Shuhui’s departure, her encounter with the bandits, Yu Sixian’s arrival and decision to take her away, and the Zhou servants following her trail to the scene. Most of the evidence remained intact.

Several coroners examined the area for a long time. After conferring, they finally reached a consensus. “After Miss Zhou left the post station, she wandered ahead without any clear destination and happened upon several bandits here. They took her gold collar. Just then, another party came down the official road. Hmm… Whatever happened in between, those travelers ultimately saved Miss Zhou.”

Not a trace of color remained in the retainer’s face. “Our young lady was rescued by the people who arrived later?”

The coroners exchanged cautious glances, then shook their heads. “It may not have been a rescue.”

Their leader explained, “Had they saved her purely out of kindness, they would certainly have asked what happened. The post station is so close-why did they not return Miss Zhou there? Judging by the bandits’ wounds, highly skilled fighters killed them. Anyone capable of dispatching the bandits with such ease should also have had someone to spare to escort Miss Zhou back.”

“One of the dead bandits lies especially close to the road, and the weeds beside it were crushed. Half a footprint remains on the ground. It most likely belonged to Miss Zhou. Based on its position, she must have witnessed that bandit’s death face-to-face. That is truly…”

“Then there is the gold collar. Had they saved her out of goodwill, they would not have left it lying there. Unless, of course, the killers were acting under orders and concerned only with killing the men, not retrieving the collar.”

By the time the coroners finished, the retainer’s legs had gone so weak she could barely stand.

She knew her young lady had become particularly willful of late. She also knew why Old Madam Zhou and Madam Zhou had sent the girl back to the capital. But Zhou Shuhui was missing now, fallen into the hands of strangers whose identities and intentions were impossible to judge. The retainer’s grief, regret, and self-reproach were all painfully real.

She collapsed onto the ground in anguish. “The young lady is gone. How can I ever face Madam again?”

But the truth had to be faced. Concealing it would solve nothing.

The retainer understood the gravity of the matter. Though remorse burned within her like fire, she dared not delay. She left several people at the scene to wait for new discoveries, then hurried back to Pingcheng with the others and reported everything to Old Madam Zhou and her daughter-in-law.

Madam Zhou had only recently lost her husband, and now her daughter was missing. Her face turned white as paper, and the light vanished from her eyes. She clutched her younger daughter’s hand so tightly that she could not utter a word.

The pressure hurt Zhou Shuyao’s hand. She looked up at her mother’s face, then endured it without a sound.

Old Madam Zhou was startled at first, but understanding soon dawned. Seeing both the retainer and her daughter-in-law utterly distraught, she could not help sighing.

“Do not frighten yourselves,” she said. “Shuhui must be safe for now.”

The retainer stared up in astonishment. Madam Zhou seized upon the words as though they were her final lifeline. “Mother, what do you mean? Do you know where Shuhui is?”

“I do not know where she is now, but I can infer that she must be alive and unharmed.”

Old Madam Zhou continued, “The traces at the scene prove that whoever saved Shuhui was no benevolent soul. He has neither returned her to the post station nor contacted the Zhou Family in all the time since. That only confirms it. If so, why did he save her at all?”

Her voice became decisive. “There can be only one reason: Shuhui possesses something useful to him.”

Madam Zhou jolted. With her daughter’s life at stake, her thoughts moved rapidly.

Money? Her daughter had taken very little when she left.

Beauty? However pretty she might be, how beautiful could a child of seven or eight truly be?

If they meant to raise her and profit from her later, why abandon the gold collar?

Besides, her daughter could speak clearly. She knew her parents’ names and where her family lived. If they returned her, would the Zhou Family begrudge them a reward?

One possibility after another rose in Madam Zhou’s mind, only to be rejected in turn. At last, insight flashed through her. “Mother, could it be…”

Old Madam Zhou nodded. “The Zhou Family. Shuhui is a daughter of the Zhou Family and the eldest son’s own flesh and blood. The person who took her wanted no wealth. He valued her identity as a Zhou daughter. Given time, he may cast her back into the world at a critical moment and achieve an astonishing result.”

Tormented by concern, Madam Zhou said anxiously, “Mother, but Shuhui…”

Old Madam Zhou snorted. “Shuhui is your daughter. Do you not understand her? She knows how to tell anyone exactly what they want to hear. Since the other side means to use her, she will certainly find a way to survive. She has precious few moral scruples. If they order her about, she will simply obey. She is unlikely to suffer much.”

Shuhui was still the daughter Madam Zhou had carried and borne herself. Hearing her mother-in-law judge the girl so harshly filled her with shame and pain. She knelt before Old Madam Zhou, tears falling as she remained silent.

Old Madam Zhou sighed at the sight. She ordered everyone else to withdraw and had the nursemaid take Zhou Shuyao away. Only then did she say, “I will ask the Great General to help search for Shuhui. But… you must also prepare yourself for the worst.”
Prayer beads clasped in one hand, Old Madam Zhou murmured, “I married into the Zhou Family at seventeen. I am forty-nine this year. I have spent exactly thirty-two years in this house. The eldest son… he would have been thirty-two this year as well. The Zhou Family’s good name was passed down by our ancestors. No one may tarnish it, least of all before my very eyes. Do you understand, Daughter-in-law?”

Madam Zhou’s heart clenched. Tears filling her eyes, she nodded.

Some relief showed on Old Madam Zhou’s face. “I do not know precisely what the person who took Shuhui intends, but I can make a few guesses. We do not know when he may strike, so we must prepare early. The Great General’s men have not left yet. I will write a letter describing how my granddaughter was abducted today and how her life or death remains unknown. I will also state the full truth of the eldest son’s violent death. We will make three copies-one for the Great General, one for you, and one for the second son. If trouble comes in the future, whichever of you produces a copy will be able to explain everything clearly.”

Her meaning was unmistakable: she did not expect to live until that day. Grief swept through Madam Zhou. When she raised her eyes and saw how much of her mother-in-law’s hair had recently turned silver at the temples, the sight stung like a blade.

Tears fell from Old Madam Zhou’s eyes as well. “I am a mother too. I know how difficult this is for you. But whatever happens, we must still distinguish right from wrong, mustn’t we? If Shuhui had not slipped away in secret and refused every effort to discipline her, how could today’s disaster have occurred? The good name our ancestors left us must not be stained. The eldest son died honorably in the line of duty. I will not let anyone drag his name through the mud!”

Weeping, Madam Zhou agreed.

Old Madam Zhou nodded and helped her daughter-in-law to her feet. Her voice softened as she patted Madam Zhou’s hand. “You are a good child. The eldest son chose well when he married you. My temper is hard, and I seldom say tender things, but I have always been very fond of you.”

Madam Zhou had been so overwhelmed by recent affairs that she had not looked closely at her mother-in-law in some time. Now she saw that not only had the woman’s white hair multiplied, but her once-straight back had begun to bend. Dressed in mourning, she seemed steeped in the twilight of age, like a lamp about to gutter out as it swayed in the desolate autumn wind.

Shock, pain, and fear seized her. She wept. “Mother, you must take care of yourself. You must. Our family cannot lose anyone else!”

“I know.” Old Madam Zhou paused, then soon smiled again. “Help me inside.”

…

The trusted agents Emperor Gaozu sent obeyed their lord’s instructions. Upon arriving in Pingcheng, they investigated Father Zhou’s death while also determining whether the Zhou Family truly had a daughter named Zhou Shuhui.

The answer was yes.

By then, Old Madam Zhou had already sent Zhou Shuhui toward the capital. Fortunately, the party was not traveling very quickly. The agents immediately sent men after them. Once they caught up, those men concealed themselves nearby and waited-only to watch Zhou Shuhui tear the curtains into strips, knot them together, and slide down from the second floor by herself.

The watchers hesitated for a few moments, then chose not to raise the alarm. They followed her in silence and witnessed everything that happened afterward with their own eyes.

The Great General wanted to know where the Zhou daughter went, and those few agents were clearly no match for the formidable mounted party before them. They did not alert anyone, merely watching as the group took Miss Zhou away.

They continued following at a distance to investigate and trailed the party all the way to Jingzhou. Only then did they learn that the carriage belonged to Yu Sixian, Prince Su’s heir.

…

Half a month later, Old Madam Zhou arrived in the capital with her daughter-in-law and young granddaughter Zhou Shuyao. At the same time, a report of Zhou Shuhui’s ultimate destination reached Emperor Gaozu’s desk.

“Yu Sixian, Prince Su’s heir: noble birth, wickedly handsome features, and an unrestrained air. The great villain has been found!”

Emperor Gaozu held the letter for a long while before tossing it aside. Clicking his tongue, he said, “Zhou Shuhui really did go looking for him. Or perhaps fate itself arranged for her to meet the villain she has yearned for all this time. I only wonder whether the rest will unfold as she imagined and whether she will immediately ride off into the sunset with him.”

Liu Che wagged one finger. “I think the little girl traveling with Yu Sixian feels much more like the heroine.”

Li Shimin: “+1!”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “+1!”

Ying Zheng: “+1!”

Emperor Gaozu laughed. Then he feigned regret and stroked his chin. “What a pity for my nephew. He has lost a perfectly good wife-to-be!”

“Speaking of which,” he asked those nearby, “where is my nephew?”

…

He Zhenkui held the north and looked poised to contend for the entire realm. As his nephew, He Kanglin naturally rose with his status. Among the sons of the great houses, he now stood in no way inferior to the rest.

Some inevitably made sour remarks, using the affairs of the Hu Family to needle him. When they saw that He Kanglin remained composed and utterly unmoved, they turned instead to the far more combustible He Jiaojiao.

“You changed your surname and now you truly think you’re part of the He Family? Spare us. Everyone knows you’re the Hu Family’s daughter, and the Great General killed your father!”

“Listen to you calling him Uncle so affectionately. My heart aches for the Hu Family!”

“What choice does she have? The Hu Family fell, and the He Family rose. If she shamelessly stays in the He residence and takes her mother’s surname, she might even ride their coattails and become a princess someday. I certainly wouldn’t want to leave either. So she loses a little face-what does that matter?”
He Jiaojiao flew into a rage. Without another word, she rolled up her sleeves and charged toward them. The youths who had been making those sour remarks immediately scattered like frightened birds and beasts.

He Kanglin caught his sister with one hand, then ordered the He Family servants to detain the ones who had spoken.

The youths began shouting at once. “They’re beating people! They’re beating people! Even servants of the Great General’s residence can’t act like lawless brutes!”

Their shameless faces made He Jiaojiao want to rush over and stab them. Only when her brother gave her a stern look did she retreat reluctantly.

He Kanglin walked forward and spoke in a gentle voice. “My good sir, where did I strike you? Or did one of the He Family servants strike you? We are in public. Say whatever you please. I, Kanglin, will not evade responsibility and will certainly give you a proper accounting.”

The He servants released their sleeves. The youths immediately looked embarrassed, though one still insisted stubbornly, “You hadn’t hit us yet because I shouted and stopped you!”

“If no one hit you, why did you shout that we were beating people and accuse the Great General’s residence of acting without reason?”

He Kanglin said mildly, “By that logic, may I claim your household deliberately opposes the Great General and harbors treacherous intentions? If that is truly the case, I fear I must tell Uncle once I return home. If not, then you were merely stopped by my denunciation. That does not mean your household never possessed such intentions. Isn’t that so?”

The youth was left tongue-tied. After a long silence, he finally muttered in embarrassment, “You’re twisting words!”

The corner of He Kanglin’s mouth curved with faint mockery. “Twisting words? Then answer me this. My sister and I did indeed change our surname to He, but why shouldn’t we? When have we ever claimed to be the Great General’s children? When has the Great General opened the ancestral hall and acknowledged us as his son and daughter?”

The first speaker had no answer.

He Kanglin continued, “The Great General is our mother’s full brother. If we should not call him Uncle, what should we call him? We are merely observing the proper rites. Is that wrong as well? Or do you return home and call your grandfather ‘Grandson,’ your father ‘Son,’ and jumble every form of address together?”

Laughter erupted from the surrounding crowd. The second speaker flushed crimson and, having run out of reason, blurted, “You still can’t deny that the Great General killed your birth father! Or are you saying that was invented too? Was I wrong to say I grieved for the Hu Family?”

He Kanglin countered, “Do you believe my uncle acted wrongly?”

The youth’s lips moved, but he did not dare lay such a charge upon the Great General. He snorted and turned his face away in resentment.

He Kanglin scoffed. “Then why don’t you report him to the authorities? Do you not know the way to the Governor of Jingzhao’s office?”

The speaker fell silent.

Why would he go to the Governor of Jingzhao’s office? So the governor could ask who knelt below and why he wished to accuse the governor’s own superior?

He Kanglin said, “No one understands what happened in the Hu Family better than my sister and me. The sages said, ‘If injury is repaid with virtue, then how will virtue be repaid?’ Where is the fault in that? The written confession from my grandmother’s dowry retainer remains on record, and both witnesses and material evidence are complete. Anyone who still has doubts may ask his own maternal family what they would have done in the same circumstances!”

The youth curled his lip, unconvinced. “They wouldn’t have killed anyone, at least.”

“Oh.” He Kanglin nodded, then earnestly explained, “Your mother’s life may be cheap and worthless. Mine is not. Your uncle may lack the courage to avenge his own sister. Mine does not. Your mother may have given birth to a fool who is generous with her suffering and still congratulates himself for his benevolence. Fortunately, my mother was not so unlucky!”

Without waiting for him to respond, He Kanglin turned to He Jiaojiao. “What were they shouting before? What did they claim we’d done to them?”

He Jiaojiao understood at once. She rolled up her sleeves and declared with martial vigor, “They said we hit them!”

He Kanglin looked disdainfully at the youths and shook his head. “We of the He Family conduct ourselves openly and uprightly. We never attack from the shadows. When we beat someone, we do it before everyone’s eyes. We would never hide our faces and cower out of sight!”

With that, he raised a hand and slapped the youth across the face. The crack rang sharp and clear. “Like this.”

The victim froze. When he recovered, his cheek burned as though on fire.

Pain and humiliation overwhelmed him. Furious enough for his hair to stand on end, he lunged at He Kanglin.

He Kanglin drew his sister behind him, stepped calmly back, and ordered the He retainers, “Beat them.”

The retainers ate the He Family’s rice, and every one of them was an elite fighter. They did not hesitate at the command.

Their opponents were merely a handful of half-grown youths. How could they possibly compete? The He retainers knocked them to the ground in a few moves. Even when the other households’ attendants rushed over, they could not compare with elites who had come down from the battlefield.

The onlookers had never expected mild He Kanglin to strike without warning. Seeing the affair about to spiral out of control, they hurried forward to mediate. “Better to end a feud than deepen it. Take one step back and the world opens wide…”

He Kanglin folded his arms and watched the spectacle. “It’s fine. They’re already beaten. My uncle can handle the consequences.”

The crowd tried again. “These young gentlemen are all sons of dukes and marquises. If this truly becomes a major affair, the Great General will lose face as well…”

He Kanglin asked in return, “The sons of dukes and marquises are no kin of his. Can they possibly be closer to him than his own brother-in-law?”

He Jiaojiao shook her head in perfect cooperation. “I don’t believe it.”