The Sixth Year of Shenchu
Xie’s Ah Xun
Alai and her mother, both covered in wounds, were pushed into the woodshed and locked inside, with four burly servants standing guard outside.
Alai, worried about her mother, asked if she was hurt anywhere.
“These minor injuries are nothing,” Xiaoshi dismissed her own wounds lightly, retying Alai’s hair. She lifted Alai’s clothes to find her delicate little body covered in bruises, and even her lips had been scratched by the Sixth Lady’s nails.
Xiaoshi felt a pang in her heart and gently hugged her, saying, “It’s my poor Alai who has suffered.”
“Alai doesn’t feel any hardship. These injuries are nothing compared to the ones I got when Mother taught me martial arts.”
“Shhh,” Xiaoshi signaled her to speak quietly, not wanting those outside to hear.
Xiaoshi tidied her daughter’s clothes and told her to sit down, not in a hurry, as if waiting for something.
After locking up Alai and her mother, Xie Suishan was restless. Seeing that Mistress Yao had not returned to her room, he had no choice but to brace himself and apologize, “Your son is incompetent, making Mother worry.”
The maid had brought over the unfinished cheese from earlier. Mistress Yao used a small silver spoon to cut the cheese into pieces, saying, “Stop with the useless talk. Your father will be back in two days. The person is already dead, and the urgent matter now is to address the issue of the refugees, or else disaster will strike before any merits are achieved. I heard that County Magistrate He and the Inspector went to the eastern suburbs today. Did you send someone to follow them?”
Xie Suishan was startled, “The Inspector is here?!”
Mistress Yao sighed inwardly, already anticipating her son’s response. “Your father repeatedly reminded you before he left to think thrice before acting. Yet here you are, not only stealing his talisman but also unaware of the Inspector’s visit. You were so confident about opening the city gates for the refugees; now how do you plan to end this?”
Xie Suishan quickly replied, “Mother, I realize my mistake. I didn’t think it through. I’ve already sent people to gather and control the refugees. The county yamen’s men are also involved, and I heard that some advance troops have been dispatched from the neighboring county.”
“It’s probably too late to start controlling them now. The Inspector is in Qixian as we speak. There’s no guarantee that Sun Mingyi won’t pin this disaster on our Xie family. Not to mention the outside mess, but how will you explain Fourth Aunt’s death to your father when he returns tomorrow? You know how much he doted on her.”
Xie Suishan’s face turned ashen. He stammered, “Fourth Aunt’s death is ultimately her own doing. She brought about this disaster by wandering around. When the refugees entered the city, she was still praying for blessings, all to curry favor with Father! And that Alai, she didn’t even protect her mistress properly, deliberately making me look bad!”
Mistress Yao shot him a glare, silencing him. He glanced around, not seeing any sign of Lord Yunmeng.
“Mother, I’ll go seek some advice from Lord Yunmeng.”
Mistress Yao nodded. “Go.”
Xie Suishan immediately headed to Lord Yunmeng’s study. A maid beside Mistress Yao said, “Madam, you needn’t worry too much. Today, you did advise Fourth Aunt against going out, but she insisted on visiting the Wang family. Master Xie can’t blame you. As the saying goes, ‘If the King of Hell wants someone dead by midnight, they won’t live until dawn.’ It was fated, and it has nothing to do with the Young Master.”
Mistress Yao took a piece of cheese, slowly speaking after it melted in her mouth, “Even if it was fated, she shouldn’t have died at such a critical moment. Seeing these filthy things makes it hard to sleep at night. Have someone prepare some cypress soup to distribute.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Xie Suishan grew increasingly anxious as he walked halfway down the corridor.
Although Lord Yunmeng was his teacher, he was ultimately a retainer of the Xie family, paid by his father, Xie Taihang. In the matter of Fourth Aunt’s death, Lord Yunmeng would undoubtedly side with his father and might even persuade him to confess his mistakes. Back when he was studying well under a female teacher, his father had insisted on the propriety of gender separation and chased her away, replacing her with an old codger who was actually there to keep an eye on him and occasionally whisper in his father’s ear.
No, he couldn’t go to Lord Yunmeng.
Xie Suishan lingered in the corridor for a long time, finally deciding to find a scapegoat.
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Alai was the perfect candidate. As a servant, she had failed to protect her mistress and had fled on her own. If she later regretted her actions and chose to apologize with her life, it would be a reasonable explanation. This way, someone would take the fall for Fourth Aunt’s death, and he would just be seen as a hot-headed youth who made an unintentional mistake.
Yes, that’s the plan.
“Someone, come here!”
The household servants quickly responded to his call.
“Where are the mother and daughter gardener?”
“Reporting to Young Master, as per your instructions, they are locked in the woodshed, awaiting your further orders.”
“Alright.” Xie Suishan drew the sword from his waist, the gleaming blade flashing in a chilling light. His face revealed a murderous intent.
With his servants in tow, he stormed into the woodshed and dragged Alai out, pressing her down to the ground with the sword against her delicate neck.
“You treacherous and disloyal slave, caring only for your own life,” he sneered. “You used the Xie family’s salary and caused the death of our mistress! Today, I will clean up the mess for the Xie family and send you to apologize to Fourth Aunt!”
Alai struggled desperately, surprisingly exhibiting a tremendous strength. The two adult servants struggled to contain her.
Seeing her continued resistance, Xie Suishan raised his long sword, ready to strike. But Xiaoshi stood in front of Alai.
“If you want to kill, kill me instead! I am willing to give my life for Fourth Aunt!” she shouted.
Xie Suishan let out a sinister laugh. “Do you really think I would spare your life?” he scoffed, pointing his finger at Xiaoshi’s face. “I have long wanted to tear apart this vile woman who tarnished my father’s reputation! Today is the perfect opportunity to cleanse ourselves of you filthy creatures. The Xie family will be much purer from now on!”
Facing the sword-wielding Xie Suishan, Xiaoshi didn’t even blink. Instead, a chilling sensation washed over her when she faced the person who shouted about fighting, killing, and holding a weapon against her.
One of the servants, unable to bear the delay, nudged Xie Suishan with their elbow from behind. He snapped back to reality and raised the sword high once again. With a loud shout, he aimed to strike.
Suddenly, a whip cracked through the air, the sound of it breaking the wind. “Snap!” The sound of the whip striking flesh accompanied Xie Suishan’s agonized scream.
The steel sword fell to the ground as Xie Suishan retreated a few steps, clutching his hand with a swollen red whip mark. He was about to berate when he saw his younger sister, Ah Xun, standing at the entrance of the woodshed, holding a delicate whip.
“You! How dare you strike me!” Xie Suishan was in immense pain from the whip’s lash, and there had always been deep resentment between him and Ah Xun. At this moment, his anger reached its peak.
Ah Xun, at the age of fifteen or sixteen, had a sturdy and slender figure from years of martial arts training. Her waist-length black hair was coiled into a bun behind her head, secured by a net woven with steel wire that covered one side. Snowwater had melted onto her temples. With her oval face, thin eyebrows, and thin lips, she possessed a standard beauty. However, her long exposure to the sun while working for the Xie family had given her a wheat-like complexion. She wore a purple sand-colored outfit that seemed to carry the coldness of a snowy night.
“Under the urgency of the situation, I apologize for the offense caused by my actions. I hope you can forgive me, brother,” Ah Xun said, her words seemingly apologetic but devoid of any actual remorse. Xie Suishan picked up his long sword, intending to have a thorough confrontation with her tonight. However, Lord Yunmeng appeared at an inappropriate time, advising him not to act impulsively.
“This is my family matter! It would be best for you not to interfere, sir!” Xie Suishan’s entire body was filled with anger, eager to rush forward and kill, wanting to eliminate anyone who hindered him.
Fury consumed his heart, but Lord Yunmeng’s words struck a chord.
In a calm voice, Lord Yunmeng said, “Master Xie has asked me to invite the Young Master to the main hall.”
Upon hearing his father’s name, Xie Suishan’s grip loosened, and the sword nearly slipped from his hand.
“Father… Father has returned so early?” He was truly dumbfounded. Ah Xun, who had gone to Yanzhou with their father, was right in front of him. What was so special about their father’s return?
Lord Yunmeng nodded slightly, and a drop of snowwater dripped from his gathered chin.
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The household servants turned their gaze towards the eldest young master. Xie Suishan’s eyes darted around in confusion among the crowd. He sheathed his long sword, pushed past Ah Xun, and hurried towards the main hall.
“Alai, are you alright?” Ah Xun put away her delicate whip and helped Alai up from the ground. She had expected the twelve-year-old Alai to burst into tears after such a fright. However, to her surprise, Alai shook her head calmly and said:
“I’m fine, sister. You don’t need to worry.”
Ah Xun glanced at Xiaoshi, who was standing on the side. The composure displayed by this mother and daughter duo in the face of life and death situations caught her off guard.
Lord Yunmeng, on his swift horse, rushed over a hundred li away from Qixian to inform her and her father about the influx of refugees into the city and the danger the Xie family was facing. He said that the eldest young master intended to kill Xiaoshi and her daughter. After hearing this, Ah Xun snapped the horsewhip, her urgency resembling thunder. She hurried back home against the wind and snow, saving them just in time. Ah Xun had witnessed the ruthless appearance of Xie Suishan, and the consequences would have been unimaginable if she had arrived a moment later.
Ah Xun noticed that the corners of Alai’s mouth were horribly swollen, with blood seeping out from a cut. When she gently touched it, Alai winced in pain, taking in a sharp breath.
Ah Xun said, “Follow me, I’ll give you both some medicine in my room.”
Ah Xuan lead the mother and daughter back to her room, while Xie Suishan rushed to the main hall and instead of seeing a clear view of his father’s appearance, he was greeted by a teacup flying towards his forehead, splashing scalding tea and tea leaves all over his face.
“You foolish imbecile!” Xie Taihang, his father, was furious, his long beard standing upright. “Do you even know what trouble you’ve caused? You dare to unlock the city gates without my permission! Why didn’t you consult Lord Yunmeng before taking actions! How many lives have been lost because of your recklessness?!”
Xie Suishan knelt down with a “thud,” attempting to explain, “Father, please calm down. Your son was thinking of the current famine situation. The Emperor is bound to issue a decree…”
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Taihang kicked him on the shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. “Do you even know what you’re worth?! You’ve never accomplished anything worthwhile in your life! And now you dare to speculate on the Emperor’s intentions? Are you trying to infuriate me?!”
Mistress Yao came over and gently placed her hand on Xie Taihang’s chest, trying to calm him down. “Shengyu also wants to contribute something to the Xie family, right?”
Shengyu was Xie Suishan’s courtesy name, and he had just turned twenty this year, freshly chosen.
“What contribution can he make?! He can’t even take care of himself! Utterly foolish! He’s not even comparable to his sister!” Xie Taihang was truly enraged, not even Mistress Yao’s soothing words could calm him.
“Look at you, it’s because you always say that he’s inferior to Ah Xun that he’s desperately trying to achieve something, hoping to change your opinion of him. Shengyu has good intentions.”
“Even the best intentions in a fool can only lead to trouble!” Xie Taihang shouted, “Bring him to the ancestral hall! Let our family’s rules discipline him!”
Mistress Yao saw that Xie Taihang was determined to punish their son, so she stopped trying to interfere and signaled to Xie Suishan with her eyes, meaning “Just endure it.”
Xie Suishan pushed away the approaching servants and coldly snorted as he headed towards the ancestral hall.
“Look at this unfilial child, becoming more and more unruly! Is this the attitude he should have? He has no idea what ridiculous things he’s done!” Xie Taihang rushed back a hundred li on his tired horse, already exhausted. But being provoked by his son like this made him even more frustrated. He sat heavily in his chair and had someone pour him another cup of tea.
Mistress Yao also had a headache, but she had something else on her mind. “Husband, weren’t you supposed to come back tomorrow? Why did you rush back in the middle of the night like this?”
“If I don’t come back, I’m afraid the whole Suichuan won’t be able to handle him!”
Mistress Yao glanced at Lord Yunmeng, who had been silent by her side, his face still flushed from the intense emotions. There was no need for words, Mistress Yao already understood.
Xiaoshi didn’t go into Ah Xun’s room. She said there were still some tasks left unfinished in the flower garden. Her injury wasn’t a big deal, so she asked Alai to accompany her.
As she watched her mother leave limping, Alai was lost in thought.
Facing Xie Suishan’s blade, neither she nor Xiaoshi were fearless. It was just that Xiaoshi had been prepared.
Her mother had already deduced that Fourth Aunt would probably face a calamity this time and that Xie Suishan might even have murderous intentions towards them mother and daughter. That’s why she made a quick decision and reached some kind of agreement with Lord Yunmeng.
Alai didn’t know what exactly they had agreed upon. At that time, Aunt asked her to wait outside, and she couldn’t eavesdrop. But she could feel that this agreement must have a great appeal to Lord Yunmeng. Otherwise, as a weak scholar, he wouldn’t risk becoming a fugitive in the snowy night for this agreement.
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Fortunately, her mother had a keen sense of reason and let Lord Yunmeng leave earlier. Xie Taihang and her sister Ah Xun returned just in time.
Connecting all the things she had witnessed, silently sorting them out, Alai admired her mother, who quietly strategized and planned.
Entering Ah Xun’s room, the familiar scent of incense gradually eased Alai’s tense emotions.
Ah Xun motioned for her to sit on the edge of the couch and rummaged through the medicine box, applying ointment on her wounds.
“You’ve become bolder as you’ve grown older. There are people-eating bandits everywhere outside, yet you dare to run around the city on your own.” Ah Xun’s tone of reprimand was different from that of the main mistress. It wasn’t the condescending tone of a master to a servant, but the concern and worry of an older sister for her younger sister.
Apart from Ah Xun, no one in the Xie family treated Alai as a true member of the Xie bloodline, and they were even ashamed to mention it. But Ah Xun was different. Even in front of outsiders, Ah Xun allowed her to address her directly as “sister.” So, besides her mother, Alai was only close to Ah Xun in the Xie family.
Ah Xun practiced martial arts all year round, so there were rarely any cosmetics or needlework materials in her room like an ordinary girl’s. Instead, she had a variety of medicinal herbs for treating injuries. She applied ointment to the corners of Alai’s mouth. The ointment was cool and quickly relieved the stinging sensation of the wound.
“It’s a pity we couldn’t save Fourth Aunt in the end.” Alai recalled the story her mother once told her about how Fourth Aunt helped them in times of danger, feeling guilty about what happened today.
Ah Xun didn’t continue with the topic of Fourth Aunt. For her, the matters in the backyard were trivial and not worth expending energy on. She continued to search through the medicine box and casually said:
“You must have quite a few injuries on your body. Take off your clothes, and sister will apply medicine for you.”
