Fish Meat – Chapter 157

by Little Panda

The Third Year of Zhao Wu

The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (16)

Ah Mu isn’t dead, these bones aren’t Ah Mu’s.

Zhen Wenjun completely ignored the thick snow on her head as joy overtook her, yet countless questions flooded her mind. These questions waged a fierce battle, each trying to occupy the fortress of her thoughts, making her first reactions utterly chaotic.

Since these bones weren’t Ah Mu’s, Zhen Wenjun had no reason to linger. She climbed out of the pit, carefully replaced the soil, set the gravestone straight, and did her best to ensure it showed no signs of being disturbed. At the very least, she couldn’t let that person who had been cunningly guiding her know that she had uncovered this greatest secret.

Though she no longer felt attachment to Liaoxi Mountain, Ah Mu’s situation remained dire. Ah Mu hadn’t died in the great fire at the Xie family home, but in all these years, she hadn’t come looking for her daughter. She had vanished as if truly gone from this world – even if alive, she must be imprisoned, with no chance to seek her daughter. “Ruan family’s Ah Qiong” had been described by Bu Jie as being incredibly powerful – even with her legs crippled and her former might diminished, her mind remained sharp. Ah Mu had been through countless battles and was an unparalleled general; how could ordinary people control her?

Zhen Wenjun leaned against the gravestone, no longer feeling the cold.

The wind and snow gradually subsided, revealing a long wound between heaven and earth, like a fresh wound beneath aged skin, bearing a painful, shameful crimson.

Judging by Xie Fuchen’s concern for Ah Mu, their relationship had indeed been very intimate. It was said that Xie Fuchen had married early, his principal wife being his social equal, though they had never met before marriage and maintained a cordial but cool relationship afterward. His wife died young after giving birth to two sons and a daughter, and Xie Fuchen never remarried – all this Zhen Wenjun had already investigated. But everything about Ah Qiong had been thoroughly erased; even when investigating Xie Fuchen’s past, she couldn’t find any information about her, so only today did Zhen Wenjun begin to see some clues.

What exactly was the relationship between Xie Fuchen and Ah Mu? Were they lovers? Had they married? Given the timing of the Ruan family’s sudden persecution and Ah Mu’s entry into the Xie family in Suichuan, they likely hadn’t had time to marry.

Looking at all the evidence together, Zhen Wenjun had to admit that Xie Fuchen was very likely her biological father.

She turned to look at the small grave mound five steps away. The mound had no marker – this was unusual. Even the poorest families could split a piece of wood to write the deceased’s name, unless the person’s identity was special enough to forbid a marker. Since Xie Fuchen had been executed for treason, the absence of a marker made sense.

Zhen Wenjun’s thoughts raced wildly.

This is Xie Fuchen’s grave.

Could it be that Xie Fuchen isn’t dead either?

Although he was executed by waist-cutting in the marketplace, his identity was surely verified before execution, and countless eyes watched him during the execution – it would have been impossible for someone to take his place. But what if? Xie Fuchen was so full of schemes; who could guarantee he hadn’t used some kind of deception?

As if ghost-made, god-directed [meaning: to do something inexplicably], Zhen Wenjun began to dig up the small grave mound.

This is Xie Fuchen’s strategic retreat [a military strategy of appearing to withdraw while actually advancing].

Zhen Wenjun thought as she dug.

Not only had he escaped from the imperial prison using methods beyond ordinary people’s imagination and survived under everyone’s watchful eyes, but he had also planted a poison in Zhen Wenjun’s heart.

It was a poison that wasn’t poisonous at first; its purpose was to gradually guide Zhen Wenjun onto the path Xie Fuchen had laid out for her. Once on this path, following Xie Fuchen’s direction, the toxin would slowly spread, and at some point, it would not only take Zhen Wenjun’s life but also claim Wei Tingxu’s life as well.

What it wanted was for the lovers to doubt each other, for Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu to turn against each other as ruler and subject.

Isn’t that right? Is it? Xie Fuchen, is this what you planned?

Zhen Wenjun dug more frantically, breaking into a sweat.

This is what you wanted, this is your strategy that rivals Wei Tingxu’s. Are you watching everything from the shadows now? When your enemies destroy each other, will you, who has been “dead” for years, suddenly appear and reap everything?

Zhen Wenjun thrust the shovel down hard, striking the bones in the grave.

Quickly brushing away the soil, there wasn’t even a simple coffin here, only a rotting straw mat. As Zhen Wenjun cleared away the soil, the decomposed mat fell apart, revealing a corpse split into upper and lower halves.

Xie Fuchen had become a mummy.

It was indeed a corpse – his once supple skin had turned black like tree bark, and his handsome frame had shrunken, yet his features were still visible, with a strange, peaceful light flickering across his face.

Zhen Wenjun stared intently at Xie Fuchen’s face while catching her breath, feeling as if he might open his eyes at any moment.

This was Xie Fuchen, it was him.

After staring at him for a moment, Zhen Wenjun reached out to open his mouth and retrieved a luminous pearl. After removing the pearl, Xie Fuchen’s corpse quickly dimmed, the light on his face vanishing without a trace, becoming just an ordinary mummy.

So it was this pearl that had preserved his appearance.

Zhen Wenjun snorted, “Such a vain man.”

No…

Xie Fuchen’s actions weren’t simply about vanity. The realization hit Zhen Wenjun like a thunderbolt.

Xie Fuchen was indeed a calculating person, but no matter how clever he was, he couldn’t have escaped from the imperial prison. Throughout history, many heroes couldn’t escape death, and neither could he. But he could still calculate what would happen after his death.

In the end, he might have also doubted whether Ah Qiong was truly dead. After all, a burned corpse seemed to acknowledge some deception, but with his time running out, Xie Fuchen had no chance to verify it. Making the best of the situation, he had a fifty-fifty chance of eternally protecting his loved one.

Xie Fuchen had also calculated that Zhen Wenjun would doubt her origins and come to dig up his grave to seek the truth. But he couldn’t be certain how long it would take Zhen Wenjun to notice something was wrong – perhaps a year, perhaps ten years. After ten years, he would have become nothing but bones, impossible to identify.

So he kept this luminous pearl in his mouth, preserving his appearance, allowing Zhen Wenjun to confirm that he was Xie Fuchen and that he had died here.

Whether he placed the pearl in his mouth before death or someone put it there during burial remains unknown. Given that he was buried beside Ruan family’s Ah Qiong’s grave, someone must have helped him.

After all, as a former Sangong [one of the three highest-ranking officials] of Da Yu, second only to one person, he could surely find someone to do this small favor.

The excitement completely faded; the snow had stopped, evening had fallen, and it had grown colder.

Zhen Wenjun returned the pearl to Xie Fuchen and went to the market to buy a coffin. The shopkeeper said coffins were made to order, but if she urgently needed one, they had a simple coffin for three taels of silver.

She bought it and hauled it up the mountain on horseback, placed Xie Fuchen inside the thin coffin, and after some thought, moved all the burial goods from Ruan family’s Ah Qiong’s grave into Xie Fuchen’s coffin before sealing it.

By the time she finished, it was completely dark. Hungry, exhausted, and dejected, Zhen Wenjun swayed as she descended Liaoxi Mountain.

Since Ah Mu wasn’t dead, Lord Yunmeng’s words back then were lies.

Why would Yunmeng lie to a servant? Or had Yunmeng already seen through that Sanlang was actually her in disguise, and so deliberately said this?

Why would Yunmeng, whose strategies surpassed Xie Taihang, willingly serve as his strategist?

Whether it was cutting off Ah Mu’s finger to force her to impersonate Zhen Wenjun, or the misdirection about Ah Mu’s life and death, everything came from Yunmeng’s hand.

Why did Yunmeng do this?

As Zhen Wenjun unraveled the threads [extract the truth from a complex situation], she began to see the shadowy truth amid the layers of reality and deception.

Her lips were cracked and bleeding, and in her dazed state, Zhen Wenjun fell from her horse, covered in scrapes.

“How did you get injured like this during the New Year’s first month?”

When she returned to the Wei Mansion, Wei Tingxu was standing at the gate waiting for the servants who had rushed out to bring back news of Zhen Wenjun. Unexpectedly, Zhen Wenjun returned herself, but injured.

Having learned medicine from long illness, Wei Tingxu was thorough with treating wounds, carefully pressing alcohol-soaked cotton to Zhen Wenjun’s palms, cleaning away the dirt before sprinkling medicine powder.

Zhen Wenjun changed into comfortable clothes, and with the stove burning hot in the corner, the room wasn’t cold at all. She smiled lightly and said, “The road was too slippery. Xiaoxue stumbled, and I reacted quickly and jumped off, but couldn’t keep my balance and not only fell but rolled down the stone steps.”

Wei Tingxu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly: “It sounds painful just hearing about it.”

“It’s fine, just some scrapes. At least there are no broken bones or torn tendons.” Zhen Wenjun embraced Wei Tingxu, who asked with a smile:

“Your hands are injured, yet you still want to hold me?”

“Of course,” Zhen Wenjun said, “Spring is the time for planning the year [traditional saying meaning plans for the year should be made in spring]. During spring, we should nurture our growth well, so we can grow stronger throughout the year.”

Since they couldn’t be too rowdy at their parents’ home, the two returned to Zhuo Jun Mansion that night and nearly broke the bed. Zhen Wenjun, being twenty and in her prime, was usually as fierce as a wolf or tiger, and tonight she rarely disregarded Wei Tingxu’s delicate constitution, making it a rare spring night of passion.

The next day, Wei Tingxu didn’t rise until noon, looking somewhat exhausted. When Ah Zhu saw this, she questioned Zhen Wenjun. Zhen Wenjun unexpectedly retorted:

“Does Aunt Ah Zhu need to concern herself with the young lady’s bedroom matters?”

Stunned by her bluntness, Ah Zhu never asked again.

That year, Zhen Wenjun officially entered government service as the Zhuyue Army Middle Commander. The Zhuyue Army’s power in the central government grew stronger; anyone entering or leaving the imperial gardens, whether royal relatives or high officials [sāngōng jiǔqīng, the highest-ranking civil officials], had to submit to their inspection. If the Zhuyue Army didn’t grant passage, no one could force their way through, or they would be charged with treason.

Li Yanyi favored Zhen Wenjun, entrusting all important matters to her. Due to her important position and being the emperor’s closest confidant, Zhen Wenjun quickly matched Wei Tingxu’s prominence, and they soon became Da Yu’s most brilliant civil-military pair. During festivals, Zhuo Jun Mansion’s entrance was as busy as a marketplace, with gift-bearers blocking the roads of Wanquan District.

Seeing Wei Tingxu was extremely difficult; she rarely left home or appeared in public, and gradually gained a reputation for being aloof.

Zhen Wenjun was completely opposite.

She met with everyone who came to visit, chatting with all visitors though refusing gifts, sometimes talking late into the night.

Zhen Wenjun’s exceptional intelligence and keen insights gradually earned her a reputation at court. Her unpretentious and sincere personality quickly won her a group of followers—though she understood in her heart that if she were just a commoner today, who would care about her knowledge? Everything now was thanks to Li Yanyi’s favor.

Li Yanyi was indeed nurturing her with all her effort, giving her power, letting her spread her wings.

“It seems Her Majesty trusts me more and more.” During the Mid-Autumn [traditional festival for moon viewing] moon-viewing, Zhen Wenjun and Wei Tingxu sat drinking in Zhuo Jun Mansion’s courtyard, just the two of them.

“It’s because you’re capable, Wenjun, that you’ve achieved such success.” Wei Tingxu drank whatever amount Zhen Wenjun poured.

Zhen Wenjun seemed very happy, never putting down her cup. Ah Zhu came to refill their wine in the pavilion several times, and each time it was quickly emptied. She had never seen Wei Tingxu drink so much; though the young lady enjoyed wine, such heavy drinking could be harmful. But after Zhen Wenjun’s previous harsh words, she feared causing offense by speaking up, so she let it be.

As Ah Zhu walked worriedly through the corridor, someone suddenly appeared before her, nearly making her scream.

“Xiaohua?” Ah Zhu thought she was seeing things, “Why are you here? Has your poison been cleared?”

“Where is the young lady?” Xiaohua’s features had changed somewhat, but her identity was still recognizable. Her face was sallow as gold paper, her steps unsteady, and her body reeked of medicine. Leaning against a pillar to catch her breath, she completely ignored Ah Zhu’s questions, only asking about Wei Tingxu’s whereabouts.

“The young lady is drinking with Wenjun in the courtyard… Hey! Where are you going?”

Xiaohua brushed past her, heading straight for the courtyard.

“You want me to step down?” Wei Tingxu paused her drinking and asked Zhen Wenjun, “Why?”

“Though Her Majesty wants us to work together to join swords to slay demons and traitors [or: eliminate evil factions], we’re getting married next year, and I’ll become part of the Wei family. We’re at our peak now, and I fear Her Majesty might not only stop thinking that using me to check your power is a good idea but might worry that the Wei family is becoming too powerful. That could bring disaster upon us. The power struggles in the central government are cruel, Zizhuo. I don’t want you caught in the whirlpool. Why not retire and pursue your interests at home? My salary is enough to support us both and the entire Zhuo Jun Mansion.”

Zhen Wenjun’s suggestion seemed sincere as they sat face to face, and Wei Tingxu could see every subtle expression in her thoughts.

This was just an excuse.

The emperor’s suspicion had become Zhen Wenjun’s blade – a probing blade.

Whether to reveal the trump card hidden behind depended on what this blade would discover.

Zhen Wenjun’s bright eyes fixed intently on Wei Tingxu, waiting for her answer, waiting for her to give up everything.

“Young lady.”

Before Wei Tingxu could speak, Xiaohua appeared like a ghost.

“Xiaohua?” Wei Tingxu stood up.

“Young lady, *cough cough cough*… I have something to tell you.”

“Now?”

“Yes, right now.”

Xiaohua had never been so forceful with Wei Tingxu. Without further explanation, she interrupted Wei Tingxu and Zhen Wenjun’s private evening and took her away.

Zhen Wenjun never knew if that night, had Wei Tingxu agreed to her request, whether they would still have experienced that earth-shattering disaster that followed. She also never knew if Wei Tingxu had even the slightest thought of backing down at that moment – after all, Wei Tingxu’s heart was as deep as the ocean, and even many, many years later, Zhen Wenjun might not have completely understood her.

In the third year of Zhaowu, Zhen Wenjun was experiencing another major life change. She clutched at her last bit of hope, like holding onto a lone boat amid raging waves. She was certain the next huge wave was not far off, but didn’t know when it would truly engulf her.

She was still waiting, tightly gripping onto the hope that barely convinced herself, suppressing the impulse to disregard everything and cleave heaven and earth with one sword stroke.

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