The Ninth Year of Shenchu
Attending a Banquet in Nanya (Part 5)
Without waiting for Zhong Ji to explain, the life-saving benefactor saw that the disturbance among the horses ahead had not yet ceased, so she quickly patted Zhong Ji’s head and rushed forward.
Lingbi was infuriated by this blind person, and Zhen Wenjun laughed so hard that her whole body ached, yet she couldn’t stop. She kept saying that Lingbi should take good care of her skin, otherwise, in two years someone would call her grandmother. Lingbi chased for two streets, both of them were exhausted before they stopped.
Zhen Wenjun happened to be chased by Lingbi to the Gold Market, where all the horses gathered, causing chaos. Many horse traders were also injured by kicks, and for a while, no one claimed these scattered horses. The horse-taming skills she learned from Bu Jie earlier had not yet been practiced, and this was the perfect opportunity to show her skills. She first observed the strongest leader among them, seized the opportunity, and with a leap, mounted by grabbing the horse’s neck and using the stirrup. The horse was extremely fierce, as soon as Zhen Wenjun mounted, it started to run wildly, its ears laid back and its teeth bared, extremely irritable. Zhen Wenjun held the reins tightly, clamped the horse’s belly, and lowered her body to maintain balance. The fierce horse suddenly leaned to the left, trying to throw off the person on its back, using all its strength back and forth several times. Zhen Wenjun stuck to its back tightly, no matter how it tried, she couldn’t be thrown off.
The fierce horse ran wildly around the Gold Market, everyone was scared and hid aside, and Zhen Wenjun gritted her teeth and persevered. Bu Jie said, horses are like people, they bully the weak and fear the strong. If you want to tame a fierce horse, you must be stronger than it, let it know your strength, otherwise, it will only despise you and never submit to you.
Zhen Wenjun was tossed and jolted on its back, feeling like her bones were about to disintegrate, but deep inside, a sense of pleasure arose. This was a battle between wildness and power, a bloody process of the strong conquering the weak. She enjoyed this moment of soul and body merging, her blood boiling, and the taste of blood in her mouth after accidentally biting her lip made her even more excited — I will definitely conquer it! With a strong desire to conquer rising in her heart, Zhen Wenjun not only didn’t get thrown off, but also kicked the horse’s belly hard. The horse, feeling the pain, became even more frenzied, charging left and right, until it finally exhausted its strength and could no longer resist the person on its back, having no choice but to obey commands. Zhen Wenjun finally tamed it.
Once the lead horse is tamed, making the other horses obey becomes much easier. The lead horse, exhausted, could only trot slowly, and Zhen Wenjun sat steadily on its back as the other horses followed towards the direction of the horse market.
The long-sword lady who previously saved Zhong Ji surprisingly rode up on an elephant and greatly admired Zhen Wenjun: “The young lady’s horse-taming skills are truly impressive. May I ask where the young lady is from?”
Zhen Wenjun replied: “My surname is Zhen, given name Wenjun, from the Pingcang Wei family.”
Upon hearing the four words “Pingcang Wei family,” the other party’s expression clearly froze, completely unexpected.
Zhen Wenjun then carefully scrutinized her face and guessed: “Could the lady’s surname be Xie?”
This time, the other party showed no surprise at all: “That’s right, I am Xie Ah Xin, and my father is Xie Fuchen of Dongchun.”
Xie Ah Xin, the legitimate daughter of the Xie family of Dongchun, was someone Zhen Wenjun had heard of even back when she was little Alai in Suichuan, but had never met. Ah Xin is the youngest legitimate daughter of Xie Fuchen, and she is twenty-five this year. She has practiced martial arts and studied military tactics since childhood. At the age of sixteen, she was conscripted by the court as a member of the Xie family’s private troops, and she followed her two brothers to fight in the north, achieving many military merits.
Back then, Ah Xun was just a naive girl, envying Ah Xin’s ability to go north and kill enemies. She pestered Xie Taihang and the matriarch to let her go north as well, but the matriarch coaxed and scolded her for a long time before stopping her: “What use is it to kill a few Hu bandits? Look at Ah Xin, who has risked her life for many years and is covered in wounds. No matter how many military merits she earns, she is just a private soldier. What does it matter to her if she gets promoted or ennobled? This is the fate of being a woman! You must accept it!”
Ah Xun was very unhappy about this and went to complain to Alai, who then remembered Xie A hXin, the legendary figure of the Xie family. However, Ah Xin surely had never seen Alai; she could be absolutely certain of that. Not to mention Suichuan, Ah Xin rarely stayed in Dongchun, let alone cared about a servant from a collateral branch of the Xie family.
She never thought she would be able to see Ah Xin in person. Just now at the Silver Market, that brief encounter made Zhen Wenjun feel she looked familiar. After all, they were both Xie family members, and Ah Xin’s appearance bore some resemblance to Xie Taihang and Ah Xun. Zhen Wenjun keenly captured the similarities. However, this Ah Xin had eyes like a torch and an air of righteousness, completely different from the likes of Xie Taihang.
Ah Xin revealed her identity as a member of the Xie family, naturally as a counter to Zhen Wenjun’s “Pingcang Wei family.” Zhen Wenjun did not know when the enmity between the Wei and Xie families began, but they were now mortal enemies, no need to say more. Ah Xin also calmly exposed her identity, uncovering this layer of awkward relationship, making their conversation more natural under mutual understanding.
“So, you are the daughter of Lord Xie, no wonder you are so brave and beautiful.” Zhen Wenjun casually complimented, curious why Ah Xin would be here. Could it be to conspire with Xie Taihang regarding the matter of the Grand Princess? Since it was rare to meet, she might as well take the opportunity to probe. Zhen Wenjun pondered for a moment, thinking that now the Grand Princess’s whereabouts were known to all of Nanya, there was no need to be evasive, and she directly asked, “Lady Ah Xin, could it be that you came to Nanya this time for the matter of the Grand Princess?”
She thought that with Ah Xin’s straightforward personality, she would directly answer her. Unexpectedly, upon mentioning the Grand Princess, Ah Xin’s expression changed, and she did not speak. At this moment, the elephant trader saw his elephant, rushed over to thank Ah Xin. Ah Xin casually waved her hand and said no need to thank, dismounted from the elephant, looked back at Zhen Wenjun on the horse, and said sternly: “Lady Zhen, you are clever and intelligent, you should not stray into the wrong path and conspire with the witch.”
Zhen Wenjun smiled gloomily, with a sneer but did not respond.
Ah Xin left, and when Zhen Wenjun had led the horses back to the entrance of the horse market, a few injured horse traders dragged their half-crippled bodies over to collect the horses, wanting to thank Zhen Wenjun with silver coins. Zhen Wenjun refused one by one, saying it was a small effort and not to worry about it.
Since Ah Xin appeared, Zhen Wenjun had been paying more attention along the way, discovering that there were many more people with various accents and clothing than a few days ago. She didn’t know when Fengxi City had flooded with many outsiders, with various forces secretly stirring, making the situation extremely complicated.
Carrying the medicinal herbs back to the small courtyard, Zhong Ji had twisted her ankle, and her ankle was swollen high. She conveniently bought some liniment for bruises and sprains, and after skillfully massaging herself for a while, it was no big deal, so she took Xiaohua’s medicine and left.
Zhen Wenjun was too engrossed while taming the horse, completely forgetting the wound on her butt. Now, after resting, she realized the wound had already worsened, rubbed raw and bloody by the stiff saddle. When Lingbi tore off her narrow trousers, they were stuck to the flesh by blood, causing Zhen Wenjun almost to bite a hole in the leg of the table beside her from the pain.
“Now you know it hurts? You were so mighty while bouncing on the horse’s back—did you ever think about the sore butt now?” Lingbi gently applied the liniment to the wound. The wound was so miserable that even the battle-hardened Lingbi felt weak in the teeth.
The liniment was slightly irritating, and as it penetrated the flesh and blood, the spicy sensation made Zhen Wenjun shiver uncontrollably, almost wanting to call out for her mother.
While applying the medicine, Lingbi kept nagging her, telling her not to think only about showing off next time, as she would end up suffering herself.
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Once the chatterbox was opened, it couldn’t be stopped. Lingbi started from the time she used all sorts of tricks to scam money in the bustling market, enumerating her various negligent wrongdoings one by one. The more she talked, the more energetic she got. Zhen Wenjun’s ears were about to explode. Why didn’t she realize Lingbi was so nagging before?
“Being mistaken for a mother, does that really make you as nagging as a mother?” Zhen Wenjun couldn’t help but say.
Lingbi gave a “hey” sound, then slapped her on the butt with a “pa,” causing Zhen Wenjun to scream “ouch” and turn back to glare at her:
“What are you doing!”
“Butt in my hand, yet your mouth is still so dishonest. I think you are indeed itching for a beating, let me loosen you up.”
“Dare you!”
“Watch me dare!”
The two of them were making a racket and shouting in the courtyard. Zhen Wenjun was holding up her trousers, running everywhere, while Lingbi chased behind with a stick in her left hand and a shovel in her right, very ferocious. Xiaohua appeared at some point, and Zhen Wenjun bumped into her chest as if hitting a wall, her hands loosened and her trousers fell down again, she hurriedly grabbed them.
Xiaohua looked at the disheveled Zhen Wenjun, then at the seemingly crazy Lingbi, with the same stern expression: “The lady asked me to call you over.”
“Mm-hmm… coming, coming, wait for me a moment.” Zhen Wenjun ran into the house in a fluster to dress neatly. Lingbi hurriedly threw the stick and shovel aside and straightened her hair bun.
Xiaohua asked her, “Do you have any romantic intentions with Zhen Wenjun?”
Lingbi blushed with embarrassment and quickly denied, “I consider her as my own younger sister.”
Xiaohua did not delve deeper, only reminded her, “Do not forget your identity. The great cause is not yet accomplished, don’t think about irrelevant trivial matters.”
Before dressing, Zhen Wenjun had some concerns, not knowing where Wei Tingxu would call her to tonight. Considering the events of these past few days, Zhen Wenjun suddenly became alert: Could it be that she is going to meet the Grand Princess?
Zhen Wenjun pushed the door open, poked her head out, and asked, “Xiaohua, why did you come here alone instead of following sister?”
Xiaohua said, “The lady is discussing important matters, it’s not appropriate for me to be by her side.”
Indeed, an important matter that even required Xiaohua to be sent away could only be a conspiracy with the Grand Princess. It seems that by the time they arrived, the secret negotiation had already concluded, and all that was left was the deployment. Just like when Wei Tingxu sent her to collect grain, she didn’t explain why or where to deliver it after collecting. Wei Tingxu is like a spider weaving a web, and Zhen Wenjun is just one of the intersecting points on the spider silk. Without seeing the whole picture, she doesn’t have the ability to overturn the entire plan. Wei Tingxu is indeed wary of everyone.
Where could the Grand Princess be now, and whom might she be meeting? Zhen Wenjun had no way of knowing. What she had to guard against was that Xie Suishan was also in Fengxi City now. What if she accidentally ran into him? No matter how much she had changed, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t recognize this former gardener of the Xie Mansion. Even though her mother was no longer in Xie Taihang’s hands, Xie Suishan might still bear a grudge against her. If he exposed her identity in front of Wei Tingxu or the Grand Princess or used it to threaten her, it would be extremely troublesome.
Thinking of this, Zhen Wenjun immediately took out the Hu clothing she had specially bought. It was the popular cloak in Fengxi City, a light green color like lotus leaves floating on the water, which complemented her well-maintained fair skin, making it appear even more delicate. Zhen Wenjun was very fond of the appearance in the bronze mirror, wondering how much joy it would bring to Wei Tingxu’s eyes. Most importantly, this Hu clothing came with a face mask, which she carried with her. In case she was unlucky enough to run into Xie Suishan, she could use it to cover herself.
Zhen Wenjun got ready to go out. Although the burning pain of the wound had lessened considerably after applying the medicine, she still couldn’t ride a horse. She could only sit in the carriage, bending over with difficulty and lying on Lingbi’s lap, trying to keep her buttocks suspended. Thinking back to the times when her mother used to spank her, the sound of her wailing would almost lift the roof before the palm even landed. Now, having suffered a serious injury, she could still laugh and curse endlessly. She wondered if she had truly grown up or if her skin had just gotten thicker.
She really missed her mother.
Fortunately, she had Lingbi accompanying her; otherwise, how lonely she would be.
Looking out from the carriage window, they had already passed through the bustling market and were heading towards the residential area of the common people.
The carriage stopped in front of a secluded courtyard. Wei Tingxu was sitting alone in the courtyard, holding a scroll and reading it carefully. Zhen Wenjun truly admired her courage. Despite the Grand Princess’s whereabouts being exposed and many forces having already entered Nanya, she could still calmly read a book. Could it be that she had already discussed a solution with the Grand Princess?
With doubts in her heart, when Wei Tingxu heard the noise and looked up to see them, Zhen Wenjun immediately gave a sweet smile and ran up, enduring the pain as she knelt beside Wei Tingxu. Her upturned face was full of affection as she asked in a sweet, soft voice, “Sister, did you feel heartache after hitting me, afraid that I couldn’t endure the pain?”
Wei Tingxu glanced at her. In the heat of Fengxi, the clothing styles were mostly loose and large, and the materials often consisted of light gauze and thin satin. Zhen Wenjun had been developing for some time, and the two soft mounds rising under her cloak were growing pleasingly. She could see her clearly from top to bottom.
Wei Tingxu smiled and said, “Since you can still chatter, it means you are fine. You have probably not gotten used to the heavy flavors of the spices here in the south. I had someone specially bring in some ingredients. Tonight, let Xiaohua cook a few authentic Northwest dishes to satisfy your cravings. How about roasted lamb leg?”
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Having been spanked in the morning and then going to buy medicine, she hadn’t had a chance to eat a bite until now. She hadn’t felt hungry at first, but upon hearing there would be hometown food, Zhen Wenjun, who had been tormented by the various strange-flavored spices, suddenly seemed to smell the aroma of the roasted lamb leg and hear the sizzling sound of the oil.
Xiaohua went to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Zhen Wenjun was very concerned about the matter of the Grand Princess. In the past, she might have pondered for a long time before speaking. Now that Wei Tingxu had spanked her without any reservation, she saw no reason to beat around the bush:
“Earlier, Xiaohua said that sister was discussing important matters with the Grand Princess. I thought that sister wanted me to offer strategies tonight, but I didn’t expect that sister had already come up with a good plan to break the deadlock. Now, Fengxi City is filled with people from the major aristocratic families of Nanya, each with ulterior motives, probing the Grand Princess’s whereabouts. Today, I even saw someone from the Xie family.”
“Oh? Someone from the Xie family?” Wei Tingxu asked casually, seemingly unconcerned.
“Sister doesn’t seem surprised?”
“There are many people in the Xie family who want to kill me and the Grand Princess, but these rats always hide in the dark. If you discovered them, they are probably not worth fearing.” Wei Tingxu asked, “Was the person you saw Xie Ah Xin?”
Zhen Wenjun was puzzled that Wei Tingxu guessed right in one go, as if she already knew Ah Xin had come: “It was indeed her. Today, a group of horses were startled in the market, and Zhong Ji was almost injured by them. It was that Xie Ah Xin who saved her. Only after she introduced herself did I realize she was from the Xie family. I didn’t expect sister’s foresight to be so accurate.”
Wei Tingxu was unconcerned and did not want to explain, simply saying: “Those people are not worth fearing. Since the Grand Princess’s whereabouts have been exposed, let them come. This trip to Nanya was originally to collect grain and to investigate the situation in Nanya. This way, we don’t have to make an effort; the aristocratic families from the surrounding prefectures and counties have all come. It will be clear who can be cooperated with and who needs to be purged. In three days, the Grand Princess will host a banquet to entertain everyone, and the invitations have already been sent out.”
So this was their strategy—advancing instead of retreating. Initially, they were pressuring the Wang family to collect grain, but now they could quickly rally all the capable officials and staff in Nanya and clarify the situation.
One has to say that these two are extraordinarily brave, not knowing what fear is.
East of Fengxi City, Yao Residence.
A middle-aged man with a full black beard hurriedly walked through the flower hall and arrived in front of the study of the head of the Yao family, Yao Wei. Although his expression was anxious, he still called out steadily and respectfully: “Father, it’s me.”
After the person inside the room responded with a “hmm,” he pushed the door open and entered.
Yao Wei was painting and did not look at him. With a few graceful strokes, a leisurely crane appeared vividly on the paper. Ge Sheng, a strategist who had followed Yao Wei for many years, praised it. Only after Yao Wei smiled and put down the brush did his legitimate son, Yao Lin, who had been waiting beside him for a long time, speak:
“Father, the Grand Princess has arrived in Fengxi. It is said that she wants to invite all the major wealthy families in the county to a banquet, scheduled to be held at the Wang family’s residence in three days.”
Yao Wei said nothing, picked up his tea and drank, gesturing for Yao Lin to continue.
Yao Lin continued, “But the entire Nanya’s major families, and even some powerful houses from the surrounding counties, have received invitations. Only our Yao family did not. Father has served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for more than ten years and has just retired from the court, yet we are being so slighted. It is truly infuriating! Grand Princess’s action is like throwing our Yao family’s face to the ground in front of everyone! Father, what should we do?”
Yao Wei cleared his throat: “What to do, what to do. I usually tell you to stay calm and composed, but you only grasped the surface. Just now, your steps were disorderly on your way here; even before you entered my courtyard, I heard the commotion. Why panic? It’s just a banquet, it’s not like the sky is falling, is it?”
Yao Lin hurriedly bowed his head and admitted his mistake: “Father’s teaching is correct, your son knows his mistake.”
After washing the brush clean in clear water, Yao Wei placed it on the wooden rack: “Li Yanyi’s move was expected by me. If she had given me an invitation today, that would have been seeing a ghost.”
Yao Lin asked: “So, what does Father mean…?”
The strategist Ge Sheng, who was standing by, chuckled: “Young master, don’t be anxious. Now, the Grand Princess and the Emperor are like incompatible elements, as different as ice and fire, as incompatible as water and fire. Master Yao chose to retire and return home at this time precisely to avoid being drawn into the power struggle. Unlike the Xie and Wei families, who each serve their own master, our Yao family in Nanya has been able to maintain its lineage for a hundred years by adhering to the ancestral precepts of never participating in any struggle for the throne. Have you forgotten this, young master? Whether serving the Emperor or scheming for the Grand Princess, if successful, it would be a credit to the dragon; but if it fails, it would be a disaster for the entire clan. Hence, Master Yao chose to retreat at this time to protect the Yao family. Young master, you should know that Nanya is an important county in the south of Da Yu. All the main routes in and out of the southeast of Da Yu pass through Nanya, and our Yao family is the most influential clan in Nanya. In the future, no matter who is in power, if they want Nanya to be stable and trade to be smooth, they must employ members of the Yao family. And you, young master, are the best choice!”
Yao Lin still frowned: “But now that the Grand Princess has arrived in Nanya, she is widely sending out invitations to various major clans to attend the banquet. Her aim is to rally the other forces in Nanya. Who she promotes is still a promotion, right? Isolating our Yao family, could it be because of Xie Taihang’s defection, tainting us with the Xie family’s bad luck? Although our Yao family is large, even if we don’t oppose the Grand Princess, going against the whole of Nanya—if we win, we would still suffer significant losses. The prestige of the Yao family’s long spear and high gate might be damaged here.”
Yao Wei looked at Yao Lin with dissatisfaction and said: “Do you think Li Yanyi’s purpose is this?”
Yao Lin was taken aback and looked at Ge Sheng.
Ge Sheng stroked his beard and smiled: “Young master, although the Wang family is ranked second or third among the high-status families in Nanya, how do they compare to the Yao family?”
Yao Lin said: “Naturally, the difference is like that between clouds and mud.”
Ge Sheng continued: “Since that is the case, why would the Grand Princess bother to rally those aristocratic families that are even inferior to the Wang family? The reason the Grand Princess did not send an invitation to the Yao family is to force Master Yao, who has already retired but still holds significant power, to take a stand.”
An expression of urgency immediately appeared on Yao Lin’s face: “If we pledge allegiance to the Grand Princess, wouldn’t Father’s previous act of retiring be in vain? That wicked woman is truly detestable to the extreme!”
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Yao Wei snorted and, after a long pause, sighed: “Li Yanyi truly resembles the late Emperor. If she were a man, or if today’s Emperor had even a fraction of her resolve, the Da Yu dynasty would not have fallen to such a state. Thinking of the current predicament caused by the Wang family, he couldn’t help but curse, ‘Wang Jiao, that rustic fool, a brainless donkey! Always thinking of currying favor with the Emperor, yet failed to do so and instead provoked the Grand Princess! Now, in his delusion, he believes he can please both sides, causing such a disaster! Zihong, in your opinion, how should our Yao family respond to this matter?'”
Zihong was Ge Sheng’s courtesy name. It seemed Ge Sheng had already devised a plan, and he said loudly: “The Grand Princess acts decisively and ruthlessly, with many supporters. The Emperor is indecisive and weak, and those who support him are mostly pedantic scholars. It won’t be long before the seemingly balanced situation reaches a critical turning point. If the Grand Princess had not come to Nanya, it might have been different. But since she is already here, if you, sir, do not pledge allegiance to her now, the day she comes to power will be the day she settles scores with us.”
Yao Lin interjected: “But she is, after all, just a woman! Since ancient times, when has there been a woman Emperor? Wouldn’t doing such a rebellious and outrageous thing tarnish the name of our Yao family and leave us infamous in history for eternity?”
Yao Wei grabbed some salted crispy beans in front of him and threw them hard at Yao Lin’s face: “Utterly foolish! Who writes the history books? Isn’t it written by the victors?!”
Yao Lin, with beans splattered all over his head, did not dare to say anything: “Father, please calm your anger.”
Yao Wei suddenly asked: “How is your sister’s illness? Have you visited her recently?”
Yao Lin replied: “In response to Father, I visited her yesterday. Sister has already recovered but has lost a lot of weight. I found that Chengyi is quite filial, and Ah Xun has been by her side all the time, so Sister has some comfort.”
Knowing that his father disliked Xie Taihang, Yao Lin didn’t dare to mention him to his father.
Yao Wei responded with a “hmm” and said: “Let your sister come to see me tomorrow.” After Yao Lin agreed, he added: “Only her alone.”
Yao Lin was taken aback and replied: “Yes.”