A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 59

The Caravan Departs

Locked Outside the Gates

As it turned out, that deceased concubine really did have a paramour. The man was Zhang Shisan, someone Jiang Ning and her crew had known since childhood. He was an idle rogue who lived by sweet-talking women into supporting him. It just so happened that his looks were decent enough, making him a master swindler who succeeded seven times out of ten.

            

When he first targeted that mistress, he had no idea she was Lin Sanbiao’s woman. Otherwise, even if he were given eight times his normal courage, he would not have dared. Later, he wanted to slip away, but the woman had been relentless. She had given him her money, her heart, and her body; seeing that he wanted to run after spending her wealth, she naturally refused to let him go.

During their struggle, he accidentally choked her to death. Just as he was frantically trying to dispose of the body and bury her, one of Jiang Ning’s subordinates stumbled upon them. Panic-stricken, Zhang Shisan dumped the corpse and fled.

The subordinate had panicked as well. If the killer ran, how could he possibly clear his own name? He had only gone there to ask the man a few questions; being left alone with a corpse made him completely panic.

            

Completely at a loss, the subordinate reported to Jiang Ning, asking if they should report it to the authorities. Lin Sanbiao was not from their Qingyuan County, but Jiang Ning had heard of him. He was a difficult man to deal with; if his gang pinned the blame on them, they would definitely have to bleed a massive amount of wealth to settle it.

Reporting to the officials was not a guaranteed solution. At that moment, Jiang Ning recalled the inquiries Jiang Chenyu had made a few days prior. Thinking that perhaps she would have a way to help, the two of them discussed it and seized this perfect opportunity to kill with a borrowed knife.

The woman had actually died two days prior. They bought the last of the ice blocks from the wealthy Wu family, stuffed the corpse into a sack filled with ice, and kept it cold by the river for two days. Meanwhile, they sent word to Lin Sanbiao. Finding the perfect moment, they used a pole to push the corpse underwater until it drifted beside Wu Daoyuan’s boat, scaring him out of his wits.

            

Although Wu Daoyuan was up in years, he had dressed as gaudily as a colorful peacock that day, which immediately predisposed everyone to suspect him.

The “brother” who had secretly delivered the fatal blows was actually one of Jiang Ning’s subordinates who had temporarily infiltrated the gang. Treated to a round of good food and wine, he had easily slipped into their ranks and followed them to the Qingyuan River. Afterward, Lin Sanbiao even felt that the little brother had quite a presence and wanted to promote him, only to find the man had vanished. Thus, Wu Daoyuan was beaten to death by a flurry of fists without even getting a chance to defend himself. Still, he died for his lover and even got a wife out of it, so he should be satisfied.

Meanwhile, since Wu Daoyuan had not returned for two days, Nanny Wu was already preparing to search for him with great fanfare. How could Jiang Chenyu give her that chance? This matter had to remain buried deep underground.

            

Inside the dark cellar, Nanny Wu’s hands and feet were bound, yet she still struggled madly. Jiang Chenyu stood quietly outside, watching her with eyes completely devoid of emotion, as if she were looking at thin air.

“You little bitch, why did you lock me up?!” Nanny Wu shrieked, glaring with knitted brows, her already ugly face twisting into a hideous snarl. “Release this old mother this instant! Otherwise, when Master returns, I’ll have him flay you alive!”

“Master? Hehe…” Jiang Chenyu’s tone was light, as if she were just making idle small talk with Nanny Wu. “Your master was beaten to death two days ago for having an affair with a married woman. Let’s see… There were about a dozen men, and each delivered a punch, so it probably wasn’t too painful. Who told him to touch someone he shouldn’t? He was practically rushing to his grave, and even heaven couldn’t stop him.”

            

“Bullshit! You little bitch, you’re lying! Master would never die!” Nanny Wu thrashed about relentlessly.

“Why wouldn’t he die? Everyone has their day to die. Or is it because he was your husband that he should live a hundred years? Then what about my mother? You venomous woman, my mother treated you so well, yet you lost all conscience and acted like an inhuman dog thing.” Jiang Chenyu’s hatred flared with genuine emotion as she stared coldly at the old woman glaring back from the small cell.

Exposed, Nanny Wu fell silent, a rare flicker of guilt dodging across her eyes. But in the next instant, she hardened her stance again and shouted defiantly, “Your mother was just too weak to absorb any nutrients! Her own body failed her; she simply couldn’t handle fine food. What does that have to do with me?!”

            

“Whether you admit it or not, you will spend the rest of your days in this wretched cellar where you can never hold your head up. I have no intention of letting you out. Wu Daoyuan and his mistress have been buried together; he doesn’t want you anymore, and no one is coming to save you. I will keep you alive on half a steamed bun and a sip of water every day. Given your fate of eating husks and wild herbs, you probably can’t handle fine food anyway.” Jiang Chenyu covered her nose and mouth with her wide sleeve, looking as though she couldn’t stand staying here any longer.

“You little bitch, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” Nanny Wu lunged forward like a madwoman, trying to grab the hem of Jiang Chenyu’s dress. But the iron chain locked around her waist allowed her to move only half a step.

Jiang Chenyu watched her go mad, feeling only a sense of profound pointlessness. Her mother had died so easily at the hands of such a foolish woman, leaving her to struggle alone all this time.

            

Looking at Nanny Wu now, crushing her was as simple as killing an ant. She had no interest in torturing people; she just wanted the woman to die on her own, so she wouldn’t have to get her own hands dirty.

This woman could not be kept alive. Leaving her alive meant she might one day become a dagger pointed at Ah Tang. She absolutely could not be spared. Death would end everything cleanly. This would be the final matter she resolved before leaving Qingyuan County. From now on, there would be no unresolved regrets left here; the sky is high for the birds to fly freely.

Ignoring the old woman who lay exhausted on the ground after her mad fit, she turned and left the cellar. Outside, the autumn air was still crisp and pleasant, the sun rose as usual, and nothing had changed.

            

Seven days later, when Nanny Wu was at her most despairing, Jiang Chenyu sent servants inside with poisoned wine and a dagger. She gave Nanny Wu three choices: pick either weapon to commit suicide, or remain locked away until she died.

Nanny Wu refused to comply at first, until Jiang Chenyu had someone throw in a blood-stained inner robe, claiming it belonged to Wu Daoyuan. This finally shattered the old woman’s defenses, and she swallowed the poison to end her own life.

With this, the entire affair was truly and completely over. Her mother’s murder, her own hatred, and the grievances of Jiang Manor—all of it dissolved into dust and vanished without a trace along with the deaths of those two.

            

As if knowing their mistress was about to depart, the leaves in the courtyard gradually began to turn yellow. Here and there, a few un-withered blossoms hid their red petals among the gold, as if secretly trying to persuade her to stay.

The news that Wu Daoyuan had taken his old wife back to their hometown to recover from illness gradually spread among the neighbors. Given Wu Daoyuan’s physical state recently, no one suspected anything; they simply treated it as idle gossip and let it go.

All the shops of Jiang Manor had been reclaimed, new shopkeepers were appointed, the accounts were audited, and everything began anew.

            

The monthly accounts were left to Old Jiang and his youngest son to manage. Chuntao would only need to come back to audit the books once a year, or even once every three years if things went smoothly in the capital.

There was still a third of the cargo left on Jiang Ning’s ships. They did not need to stock up on other goods for the trip to the capital; taking this batch of merchandise would be more than enough.

As for her mountains of gold and silver, she had buried half of it at the Hot Spring Estate with the help of her two maids. The remaining three hundred thousand taels took a long time to be completely converted into silver notes, which she wrapped in waterproof goatskin and placed inside a large pouch worn close to her chest. Since they were all high-denomination notes, they did not take up much space. With the weather growing colder and her clothes thicker, concealing them was not a problem at all.

            

The two sisters and Chuntao were going with her. Zhuzi’s mother also hoped that her son could go along to see the world, so Jiang Manor was left with only Chuntao’s parents and two old nannies to look after it.

By the time all of this was sorted out and they were ready to depart, it was already October.

Jiang Ning’s merchant caravan consisted of twenty wagons of goods, five wagons of personal belongings and provisions, and over forty men. It was worth mentioning that Li Qingmei and her husband had been left behind in Qingyuan County to manage the remaining businesses. Jiang Ning had presumably feared that seeing her would annoy Jiang Chenyu, so she did not bring the young woman’s husband along. Still, the work left to them in Qingyuan County was a highly lucrative post.

            

On Jiang Chenyu’s side, there were two carriages. One was loaded with daily necessities packed by Chuntao—since they were moving to settle down, they naturally needed a complete set of items for convenience. The other carriage was where Jiang Chenyu rested, with her two maids accompanying her the entire way. Gradually, Chuntao had become an outer assistant and rarely needed to attend to the young lady directly anymore.

Jiang Ning came to pick her up in high spirits. Tall, robust, and possessing masculine features, she carried a strong air of the martial underworld. As long as she did not speak, she would easily be taken for a man. The brothers who followed her never discussed whether she was male or female; to do so would be questioning their leader’s capability. Jiang Ning had pulled them out of the mud, and she was their unshakeable faith.

As for Jiang Chenyu, her hair was styled in a simple high bun with side tresses hanging down, giving her both a neat, capable air and a charmingly delicate allure. Only a single gilded hairpin inlaid with gemstones was fastened at the front, with matching ruby-and-gold earrings hanging from her earlobes. Yet, no matter how beautiful her features, they had to be hidden beneath a face veil—though how could a veil ever hide her soaring spirits?

            

She wore an off-white, small-flowered front-opening jacket layered with a lake-green satin padded vest, and a dark, plum-blossom-patterned horse-face skirt¹ below. On her chest hung a lustrous jade-white ‘fortune’ plaque adorned with pearl and glass tassels.

In this season of falling leaves, she was like a spring of clear water in the desert, sweet and thirst-quenching.

Half of Jiang Ning’s men knew Jiang Chenyu and recognized her as their Goddess of Wealth, so their attitude was extremely respectful. A few who did not know the inside story and caught sight of her harbored wicked thoughts, only to be kicked out of the caravan by Jiang Ning.

            

Now, those who had been expelled were burning with envy seeing others make money, their regrets eating them alive. Working under Jiang Ning for a single year was worth ten years of hard labor outside. Especially this time, when each man had been distributed twenty-five hundred taels—an amount of silver they could not have earned in a lifetime.

Now, as long as they were not fools, everyone was extremely respectful to Jiang Chenyu, and none dared to look her straight in the eye.

Jiang Ning’s male attire felt entirely natural, unlike Shen Hetang. Ah Tang’s features were exquisitely outstanding; the only reason she avoided suspicion was that she carried herself with an aloof, cold temperament and a tall, straight posture.

            

Even if people saw her, they would only remark that this young master was more beautiful than a woman; few would ever suspect she actually was one. After all, in every gesture, in the way she raised or lowered her eyes, her presence was too powerful. When serious, she was like a sharp sword—how could a woman have such an aura?

“Eldest Miss Jiang, let’s depart,” Jiang Ning said, helping her into the carriage.

“Alright, thank you.” After entering the carriage, she gently lifted the curtain and took one last look at Jiang Manor. Several nannies were standing at the gate to see her off. Once she left, who knew when she would ever return.

            

The carriage unhurriedly joined Jiang Ning’s caravan, gradually moving to the front, just behind Jiang Ning’s carriage.

Cuiwan sat inside the carriage to accompany Jiang Chenyu, while Cuidie sat outside driving. When they grew tired, the two sisters would swap places. Meanwhile, Chuntao sat in the other carriage to oversee their belongings, with Zhuzi driving outside, the two carriages following closely one after the other.

Jiang Chenyu lifted and hooked the carriage curtain, casually gazing at the scenery outside. Her heart was light, filled with the sweet anticipation of seeing Ah Tang again.

            

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Our story divides here, and we must follow the other thread.

For Shen Hetang, who had slunk back to the capital with County Princess Qingyang, their journey together could only be described as a fierce clash of acting skills.

Although County Princess Qingyang looked down on the Little General in her heart and had no desire to marry him, this marriage concerned someone’s life. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to flatter and cooperate with him to ensure the wedding proceeded smoothly and quickly.

            

As for Shen Hetang, she was busy plotting how to get County Princess Qingyang to call off the wedding on her own, ideally making her loathe the very sight of him. Along the way, he was exceedingly obsequious, putting on the face of a petty villain and gradually feeding the princess the impression of an opportunist who forgets moral duty for profit and lusts after beauty.

Each harboring their own hidden motives, one flattering and the other playing along, any outsider would have thought their happy union was fast approaching.

Shen Hetang, who was acting to the point of wanting to vomit, was thoroughly baffled. She had behaved like such a mercenary, petty scoundrel, yet this princess was as patient as a tortoise. What was she waiting for instead of blowing up?

            

On the other side, the princess had played along so much that her lips were practically twitching. Dammit, was this man really a general? Even Eunuch Jin beside her Imperial Uncle had more backbone than him! He went “County Princess” this and “County Princess” that all day long, completely putting his little wife out of mind. What a ruthless character.

If they really married and he insisted on consummating the marriage, what would she do? The princess’s narrow eyes slitted, even the red tear-dot at the corner of her eye radiating danger. Glancing at the purple kingfisher feather inlay² wide ring with its spider lily pattern on her finger, she thought that if all else failed, she would just poison him to death. Looking at him, eighty percent of his military achievements were probably fabricated; he did not look like a brave, fearless general at all.

Both behaving with one set of manners to the face and another behind the back, they traveled awkwardly all the way until they finally arrived in the capital.

            

She should have returned to Shen Manor first to see Madam Shen, but since the Emperor had sent people to fetch her, she had to report to the palace first.

Shen Hetang had not been to the palace in a long time; the last time she was here, she was only around ten years old. After passing through the palace gates, she handed her sword and Black Horse over to the imperial guards for safekeeping. Then, led by a eunuch, she walked toward the Emperor’s palace, while County Princess Qingyang took a sedan chair toward the Dowager Empress’s palace.

The palace’s vermilion walls and yellow tiles were magnificent, a heavy sense of history washing over her, identical to her memories. She still recalled how much she had resisted coming to court for an audience a while ago, but now she was completely at ease, without the slightest hint of fear.

            

Recalling her last meeting with her grandfather, he had told her not to look for the killer. Dying for one’s sovereign was an inescapable duty and an honor. When she pressed for details, her grandfather had refused to speak, yet she always felt something was off.

It was not as if the Emperor had no guards, so why did a general have to shield him from an arrow? The death of a nation’s general had an impact second only to the Emperor’s. How could he be shot to death so easily?

The key lay in her grandfather’s attitude. He had shown no resentment or indignation; indeed, even in private, he had seemed somewhat relieved. She highly suspected this was a trap set for her grandfather. Was it orchestrated by the Emperor? Or was it someone else’s handiwork, while the Emperor merely pushed the boat with the current, happy to see it succeed?

            

In her heart, she harbored doubts about that seemingly amiable sovereign. Before she could think further, she had arrived at the Emperor’s Yangxin Hall.

After the eunuch announced her arrival, she stepped inside.

“Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!” Entering the inner hall, Shen Hetang immediately knelt in greeting, her voice humble yet powerful, her posture impeccable and straight.

            

“Oh, the second child of the Shen family, is it?” The Emperor was of a similar age to Shen Hetang’s father, and he felt the warmth of an elder toward her. In his youth, he had been like a half-brother to General Shen. Seeing his child now, he was genuinely happy, his face radiating kindness. “I haven’t seen you in years, and you have grown even more handsome. How is it that the western wind did not tan your skin?”

“Your Majesty is jesting. Your humble servant has been away from the border for a long time, so naturally, I am not as dark and weathered as my brothers in the army.”

“Hahaha! You still have the same temperament you had as a child—so witty.” The Emperor laughed heartily, seemingly in high spirits.

            

“Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty,” Shen Hetang replied, lowering her head and eyes.

“Someone, bring a seat! Bring a seat!” the Emperor said, waving his hand slightly.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Shen Hetang bowed respectfully.

            

“I just said you had not changed, yet here you are, behaving as pedantically as those sour scholars, knowing nothing but formal etiquette.”

“Your humble servant dares not.” Although the Emperor wore a casual expression, she did not dare to overstep in the slightest.

“Shen lad, do you still remember how you fell into the territory of Yuan’an Commandery? I also sent people to search for you for a long time, but there was never any news of you.” The Emperor’s tone shifted, turning to serious matters.

            

“Your humble servant is grateful for Your Majesty’s concern. I vaguely recall that someone gave me a clue about the assassins, luring me to the vicinity of Yuan’an Commandery. Afterward, I fell into an ambush. There were as many as thirty or forty of them, all masked and clad in black.

“Just when I was outnumbered, a group of oddly dressed people appeared out of nowhere and began fighting with the black-clad men. The scene was chaotic, and I was sneak-attacked by someone, instantly losing consciousness. When I woke up, I could not remember anything, until I met the Heir’s Wife recently. She found a divine doctor for me, and only then did I recover some of my memories.” Shen Hetang spoke as she slowly recalled the events, while simultaneously observing the Emperor’s expression.

However, she could not discern anything from his expression; perhaps older ginger really was spicier.

            

“To think you were actually ambushed! Who would dare be so bold? Could it be that foreign enemies have indeed crossed our borders?” The Emperor’s expression darkened with slight anger. It was unclear whether he was furious that his general had been ambushed, or that spies might have infiltrated Great Qian.

“Your humble servant has no clues either. I spent this past year in a daze, working as a bailiff just to scrape a living. I am truly too ashamed to show my face.” Shen Hetang admitted her plight, which once again brought a smile to the Emperor’s face.

“Hahaha! A bailiff is nothing to be ashamed of! However, since you have not fully recovered, return to Shen Manor to rest for the time being. It will be the same whenever you return to duty once you are well,” the Emperor said amiably.

            

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness. Your humble servant will certainly recover well and return to the border soon to serve Your Majesty,” Shen Hetang replied, her words resonant and powerful.

“Good, good, good… Truly, a hero comes from the youth. I shall wait for you to drive those barbarians all the way back to their homeland.” The Emperor was genuinely protective of the Shen family’s sole remaining heir—provided he remained nothing more than a tender sprout.

Emerging from the palace, Shen Hetang mounted Black Horse and rode straight toward Shen Manor. Although the Emperor had wished to send her back in a carriage, she politely declined, claiming she was fine now and could return on her own, so the Emperor acceded to her wishes.

            

Perhaps because today’s meeting was too rushed, no one mentioned the marriage decree. She estimated that the Dowager Empress would summon her in a couple of days; there was simply no dodging it.

Galloping all the way to the gates of Shen Manor, though she had only been gone for over a year, she felt a profound sensation as if a lifetime had passed.

She wondered how her mother, Madam Shen, was doing. But since her jiejie lived nearby, her mother’s life was likely as carefree and prone to petty tantrums as before.

            

It was already dusk. The fading rays of the setting sun bathed Shen Manor in a golden glow, and the pair of stone lions at the entrance looked as majestic as always. In truth, however, the massive General’s Manor was no longer what it used to be.

“Guang, guang, guang!” Dismounting, she struck the door knocker three times. From within, a lazy voice responded.

“Who is it?”

            

“Me. Your master.”

“Where did this rascal come from? This is the General’s Manor, and my masters are all inside. Who do you think you are?” The gatekeeper’s voice was as sluggish as ever as he slowly opened the peep-slot.

“Do you dare to take a look at me before you speak?” Hearing his voice, Shen Hetang could not control the urge to kick him twice.

            

“Take a look? Why not? Is there anyone in this world that I, Ding Er, cannot look at?” But before he could finish his sentence, the moment he saw the face outside, he let out a terrified shriek and ran off to report to Madam Shen.

Shen Hetang felt as if a gust of wind had swept over her head. My goodness, could you at least open the gate for me first?!

The tiny shred of apprehension she had felt about returning home was completely snuffed out by this gatekeeper.

            

A moment later, standing outside the gate, she heard it.

“My child…!” Madam Shen’s drawn-out wail echoed continuously from behind the gate, a demonic sound ringing in her ears.

Yet, the gate remained closed. Instead…!

            

“You dog thing! How dare you lock my child outside! I’ll beat you to death!” From within came the sound of Madam Shen violently thrashing the servant.

Her brow furrowing deeply, Shen Hetang shouted, “Open the gate first! Do you want the neighbors to laugh at us?!”

Her mother truly possessed the heart of a child; she would never grow up.

            

Hearing Shen Hetang’s voice, Madam Shen renewed her wailing.

The battered gatekeeper hurriedly threw open the gate. But before he could scramble aside, Shen Hetang kicked him to the ground, unwilling to spare another glance at the fool.

For some reason, the moment she returned home, she felt her temper growing shorter. Was it because she lacked Chenyu’s soothing presence?

            

“My child, you’re finally back! Your mother missed you to death…!” Madam Shen wrapped her arms tightly around her, sobbing as she patted her back.

Only after carefully examining her face and seeing that her child was completely in one piece did she finally stop her wailing and sigh in relief.

“I’m back, I’m back. Everything is fine now!” She patted Madam Shen in return. Perhaps because she had never enjoyed a mother’s love in her previous life, heaven was compensating her now—Madam Shen alone was worth three mothers.

            

“It is good that you’re back, it is good that you’re back. Quick, follow Mother inside.” Wiping her tears, she held onto her tightly, refusing to let go.

“Nanny Zhang, go prepare dinner! I want Ah Tang’s favorite braised ribs and that crispy roast duck—remember to get the thin pancakes!” Madam Shen ordered in a flurry.

“And you, Nanny Wang! Go to Furong Street and call Eldest Miss back. Tell her that her brother is back, and make her hurry over!”

            

“And you! Go bring out those two damned mother and son! The master of the General’s Manor is back, and they don’t even know to come out and pay their respects??” Madam Shen unleashed another barrage of words at the gatekeeper from earlier.

“There is no need to be so hasty. I’m not going anywhere. Take it slowly, there’s no rush.” Seeing Madam Shen acting so imperiously, she knew her jiejie had taken excellent care of her mother. At the very least, her mother still walked sideways³ in this estate.

“How can I not be in a rush? We didn’t know you’d return today, so dinner hasn’t been prepared. My child must be starving!” Madam Shen still could not relax.

            

Madam Shen was actually unaware of the true facts surrounding Shen Hetang’s disappearance. Shen Yunshu had used a series of excuses to placate her, leaving her with the impression that Shen Hetang had merely gone on a secret mission.

Madam Shen was exceptionally easy to fool, but as for the two sisters of the Shen family—who knew whose traits they had inherited!

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