T/N: These extra chapters are for ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪. Thank you for the Kofi donation!
Sorry for the wait, everyone. Had a minor surgery (a bigger one coming up in a month or two, ugh), and I haven’t looked at my computer in a week. Doing good now though!
Due to the flooding incident, the Xiao family had lost control of both Hexi Prefecture and the position of Deputy Minister of Works. Jiannan-wang was subsequently put under house arrest, and Fan Ze, the magistrate of Guizhou, died in prison.
It was one thing after another. While it wouldn’t be accurate to say that they were completely devastated, their power had clearly weakened and they urgently needed to expand their influence in the Imperial Court.
There were some elders who suggested that a few recently-matured daughters in the family should be married off to the households of officials of the third rank or higher.
The direct descendents of these prominent families either married within the family or among their disciples, or directly married into the Imperial family. However, there were no such restrictions on members of the family’s collateral branches.
Such relationships allowed families to band together and stand united when their interests aligned, maintaining a more secure position within the Imperial Court.
And when there was a conflict of interest, there was no need to fear severing ties with these collateral branches.
However, almost all of the officials in the Imperial Court above the third rank currently had intricate connections with the four great noble families.
These elders proposing such a marriage alliance would not solve the Xiao family’s current predicament.
After all, these high-ranking officials already had their allegiances, so how could they possibly abandon the powerful connections they had relied on before just because they married a girl from the Xiao family?
Therefore, if the Xiao family wanted to gain influence, they could only focus their effort on those “loyal officials.”
There were very few truly loyal officials in the Imperial Court. After much deliberation, it was the family head, Xiao Yao, who ultimately spoke up and suggested that Jiannan-wang marry Su Sheng’s youngest daughter.
Everyone in the capital knew how much Su Sheng cherished his youngest daughter.
He surely hoped his daughter would marry well, so when rumors circulated in the capital about Su Xi’er marrying An Wuji, nobody was surprised.
However, after what happened on the day of the auction, Su Xi’er and An Wuji’s marriage was completely out of the question.
Su Xi’er was now sixteen years old, the age when she should be considering marriage. If Jiannan-wang were to marry her as his princess, then both the prince himself and the Xiao family would gain a powerful ally in Su Sheng, and the Xiao family would gain even more influence than before.
Of course, Xiao Yao would have never risked making this decision before.
But now that the capital was in chaos, there was no harm in resorting to drastic measures.
When the Empress Dowager received Xiao Yao’s message, deep down, she was actually displeased.
The current situation in the capital was turbulent, and as a loyal official, Su Sheng had a natural connection to the emperor. Even if Su Xi’er married Jiannan-wang, Su Sheng would never wholeheartedly support the Xiao family.
But after seeing the way Jiannan-wang had looked at Chu Jiubian just now, Xiao Ruohan could no longer sit still.
Compared to being deceived and manipulated by Chu Jiubian, marrying Su Xi’er was absolutely the right decision for Jiannan-wang.
If the Empress Dowager publicly bestowed a marriage upon them at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, no one but the emperor had the authority to object.
And even the emperor himself couldn’t just refuse outright; if news of discord within the Imperial family were to spread, the fact that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were at odds would not be a good thing for Bai Lihong.
Xiao Ruohan smiled gently at Su Xi’er, who stood in the middle of the hall with her eyes downcast.
She was indeed a beautiful girl, and her temperament and virtue were impeccable. There were very few young ladies in the capital who could compare to her in quality.
Therefore, the more Xiao Ruohan looked at her, the more her satisfaction grew. She couldn’t help but cast a glance at Bai Lihai, who was sitting beside her.
The young man was wearing a mild expression. He had experienced a moment of surprise upon hearing about the marriage arrangement, but quickly composed himself and sat there obediently, revealing no signs of displeasure or resistance.
Xiao Ruohan’s smile deepened.
Under the stares of countless pairs of eyes, Su Xi’er had grown deathly pale.
How could it be like this?
She had simply performed a talent act like the other girls, so how had she ended up being betrothed?
She had never met Jiannan-wang, but she had heard that his incompetence had led to the flooding in Hexi Prefecture, resulting in the deaths of a great many common people.
He was also closely connected to the Xiao family, so if she were to marry him, wouldn’t she be forcing her father to take sides?
For a brief moment, she was in a trance. It was as if she had returned to that horrifying auction, to the day Zhao Xi died.
At the end of that brief suicide note, it had read:
I was powerless to resist being dragged into the game and pushed forward.
Su Xi’er hadn’t understood, and had been holding resentment in her heart over Zhao Xi’s actions.
Only at this moment did she truly empathize with the other girl and understand the helplessness and pain she had felt at that time.
In this game of chess, no one could remain completely detached from it. Sooner or later, they would be drawn into this swirling vortex of madness, powerless to escape.
I ask that you take care of yourself and stay away from the capital. Do not follow in my footsteps.
This was the last sentence of Zhao Xi’s suicide note.
Su Nian’er had also said: “I wish you would leave the capital.”
But Su Xi’er had no intention of leaving, and only wished to remain with her family. She no longer even dreamed of marrying the man she loved; all she wanted was to pass the Imperial Examinations, enter the Imperial Academy, and become a female official serving the country.
But now, she finally realized that staying in the capital may not have been a wise decision.
She looked up toward the front and saw her father’s tall and imposing figure, like a towering mountain, always standing firm in front of her and their family, sheltering them from the wind and rain.
This was where she differed from Zhao Xi.
Zhao Xi’s father, despite being a high official of the second rank, was helpless to protect her and even used her as a pawn in his schemes.
But Su Sheng was different – he was an excellent father.
And as a high official of the first rank, he would definitely be able to protect his daughter.
Su Xi’er felt a sense of calm settle over her, yet at the same time, it felt as if something was burning inside her.
She didn’t want to hide behind her father. She wanted to stand alongside him, to become her father’s pride and someone to lean on!
From his high vantage point, Su Sheng’s eyes carried a chilling coldness.
He maintained his bow, the veins on his forehead bulging.
The Xiao family had actually set their sights on his daughter – what a wicked and malicious scheme!
Chu Jiubian narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Su Sheng.
Qin Xiao was also watching this “loyal Minister of Revenue.”
They didn’t hurry to tell Bai Lihong to speak up and defend Su Xi’er, mainly because they wanted to see how Su Sheng would react.
Behind him stood an unknown vassal king, and if the Emperor didn’t speak up during the current situation, Su Sheng might have to rely on this powerful connection to save Su Xi’er.
Alternatively, he might abandon his daughter and continue to conceal the existence of his backer.
Lord Su, this renowned loyal official in the capital…..what choice would he make?
At this moment, Su Sheng neither agreed nor disagreed. He was waiting.
He was waiting for Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian’s response. On the surface, he was a loyal official who always upheld the Emperor’s rule, so the Emperor should naturally come to his aid when he encountered difficulties.
Otherwise, the other remaining loyal officials in the court would become disheartened.
I worked for you and you wouldn’t protect me and my family. A wise bird chooses its tree; why shouldn’t I seek shelter elsewhere?
Therefore, although Su Sheng was angry, he was not panicked.
Right now, it all came down to who could remain the most calm and composed.
The hall was eerily quiet. Bai Lihong had long since put down his chopsticks, no longer munching on the small cake on the table.
He swept his gaze over everyone, his small head working hard to process everything. He only had a vague grasp of what was happening, but couldn’t put it all together or understand the implications of the events unfolding before him, let alone comprehend what these people were thinking.
One breath, two breaths…..
After an unknown amount of time, a voice finally echoed throughout the hall: “Could it be that Minister Su is simply overcome with joy? Is that why he has forgotten how to express his gratitude?”
The subtle, almost imperceptible gazes directed toward him immediately swung toward the source of the voice.
Bai Lihai rose from his seat with a smile on his face, walking over to take Su Sheng’s arm. “There is no need for formalities, My Lord. It is truly my great fortune to be able to marry your daughter.”
Su Sheng glanced at Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian from the corner of his eye. The two of them remained completely unmoved, as if they had no intention of helping him refuse this marriage proposal.
How could this be happening?
Could it be that they already knew there was another force behind him?
But how was that possible?
He had always been cautious and prudent, and was confident that he had never given anything away.
But if they didn’t know, then why were these two standing by and doing nothing while he faced ruin?
Su Sheng’s heart sank. It suddenly felt as if he was left with only two options.
One path was to protect his daughter but expose his backer; the other path was to abandon his daughter and use her to protect his backer, and thus the entire Su family.
Between one daughter and the entire Su family, there seemed to be no need to even consider the options.
But…..
Su Sheng’s breathing was heavy, and his eyes stung.
His lips trembled slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse beyond belief: “Your Highness is too kind…..”
Just as he was about to say more, a clear, childish voice sounded from the main seat: “Jiannan-wang, please stop joking around.”
In an instant, Su Sheng’s legs went weak and he almost collapsed to his knees.
His clothes were soaked through with cold sweat, and the feeling of having narrowly escaped doom left him with a mixture of relief and profound unease.
The Emperor had finally spoken.
But Su Sheng knew that he had once again incurred a debt of gratitude to both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.
And at the same time, he became certain that these two had discovered his connection to another force.
There was no concrete evidence, so they decided to play along and test him. He just wasn’t sure whether or not he had passed their test.
Would there be more attempts like this to sound him out?
At last, Su Sheng straightened up again, his back firm.
Bai Lihai turned to look at Bai Lihong, his smile unchanged: “Your Majesty, this subject is not joking.”
The interruption of Su Sheng’s words just now had been orchestrated by Hong Fu, who had covertly passed instructions to Bai Lihong after receiving a signal from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.
He had only been given this one sentence to say, and now, facing Bai Lihai, the child didn’t know what to say next.
Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian exchanged glances. Just as they were about to speak up, the child raised his voice again.
“The late Emperor and Empress have just recently passed away.” Bai Lihong had a pair of large, round, bright eyes, so clear and unsullied that they seemed untouched by any sort of impurity. “Jiannan-wang hasn’t even come of age yet, but he can’t wait for the three-year mourning period to be over?”
The child’s voice was pure and innocent, and his question was asked with genuine sincerity.
He had heard from Jiujiu that after the death of one’s parent, children were supposed to observe a period of mourning.
During the mourning period, it was best to avoid eating meat or fish, holding elaborate banquets, or discussing marriage arrangements.
Only if that parent or elder left behind a “dying wish” that their child marry could they do so during the mourning period, and thus earn a reputation for “exemplary filial piety.”
Rules should be applied based on the circumstances – and the Imperial family’s circumstances were unique. Various important banquets were still required to be held, and children like Bai Lihong shouldn’t be completely deprived of meat and other rich foods, lest they suffer from malnutrition.
However, Jiannan-wang was the son of the late emperor, and the late empress was nominally his stepmother. And now, only three months after their deaths, he was already thinking about marriage.
This was wrong.
Bai Lihong’s question directly hit the nail on the head, and the entire hall fell silent.
The child could sense the strange atmosphere, and instinctively looked toward Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.
Seeing that the two of them were still calm and composed, he immediately puffed out his chest, knowing that he was right.
From the moment Xiao Ruohan proposed the marriage arrangement to when Bai Lihong posed this question, all anyone saw was Hong Fu briefly whispering something in the Emperor’s ear.
In such a brief moment, he had likely only been told to interrupt Su Sheng before he could finish speaking.
Therefore, Bai Lihong must truly be improvising.
The officials sitting nearby were all experienced and shrewd, and their hearts sank when they realized this fact.
Dozens of gazes fell upon Bai Lihong, then Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, followed by Eunuch Hong, who was perpetually at Bai Lihong’s side.
These three lords alone were each more difficult to deal with than the last.
But now, they had discovered that this young emperor was no ordinary child.
However, upon further reflection, everyone understood. Bai Lihong, who had the blood of the Qin family flowing in his veins, having inherited the legacy of Grand Marshal Qin and having been taught by figures such as Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, could by no means be an ordinary person.
All at once, everyone felt as if they were under immense pressure.
The mountain pressing down on them seemed to be growing ever more heavy and looming.
Looking into the child’s bright eyes, Bai Lihai maintained his gentle demeanor as he explained: “Your Majesty, this subject isn’t getting married immediately, just engaged.”
Bai Lihong looked toward Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, blinking his big, innocent eyes.
This was a cry for help; the child didn’t know what to do next.
Chu Jiubian’s lips curved into a smile, and he lowered his gaze, taking a sip of wine.
Qin Xiao leaned back in his seat and said: “Marriage requires mutual consent and involves formal proceedings such as a matchmaker and betrothal gifts. Jiannan-wang must observe three years of mourning, but does that mean he must leave a young lady waiting for three years?”
Bai Lihai turned his head to look at him: “Miss Su is only sixteen years old. Even three years from now, she will be in the prime of her youth, the perfect age for marriage.”
“If there is a genuine intention to marry, then even without a formal engagement, the girl will wait for you for three years.” Qin Xiao didn’t give him even a little face. “If there is no intention to marry, then the prince is using coercive business practices.”
The Xiao family was known for their coercive and unfair business practices, but while everyone was aware of this, they wouldn’t dare say it out loud.
But not only did Qin Xiao say it, he even went on to explain it more clearly: “This sort of reputation must not be spread. We don’t want people saying that our Great Ning’s Imperial family uses its power to bully others.”
A shrewd man, Su Sheng immediately played along and said: “Lord Ning-wang is exaggerating. I believe that both Jiannan-wang and the Empress Dowager mean well, but my daughter is mischievous and unworthy of such affection and esteem. Therefore, this marriage arrangement is indeed unsuitable. Please don’t allow that girl of mine to cause any trouble or bring shame to the prince’s reputation.”
Now that things had been made so clear, if the Xiao family still insisted on pursuing the marriage, it would certainly be a case of force and coercion.
Xiao Ruohan exchanged a glance with Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan, who had remained silent throughout this process. Then she smiled and said: “Alright, alright. I just took a liking to the Su family girl, and in a moment of impulse, I caused all of this trouble.”
“Since things are like this, I won’t speak of this marriage further,” she said. “However, Miss Su has indeed caught my eye. When she has some free time, she can come to the palace to keep me company and talk.”
Su Sheng quickly bowed in agreement.
Su Xi’er, who had been standing below the platform this entire time, bowed along with her father. Her posture was graceful, and although her face was somewhat pallid, she appeared calm and composed.
She is someone who can keep herself together, everyone thought.
Since Xiao Ruohan had spoken, Bai Lihai couldn’t possibly keep pressuring Su Xi’er as if he was desperate to marry.
Everyone returned to their seats, and as the banquet continued, other young women rose one after another to perform.
Perhaps having been frightened by what happened, they all made rather poor showings.
Sitting in her seat, Su Xi’er belatedly realized that her back was drenched in cold sweat. Madam Su sitting in front of her had her trembling hands clasped together, and her face was even more ashen than Su Xi’er’s.
It was evident that she was terrified.
Su Xi’er felt a pang of sympathy, but there was no comfort she could offer in this situation.
Apart from this minor incident, the palace Mid-Autumn Festival banquet proceeded rather smoothly.
When the banquet ended and they returned home, Madam Su immediately took her daughter’s hand and led her into her courtyard, then instructed the servants to begin packing her belongings.
“Mother, what are you doing?” Su Xi’er asked anxiously.
Madam Su gripped her hand tightly. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice was choked with emotion as she said: “Take all of your belongings and leave at the break of dawn for your maternal grandparents’ house in Suzhou. I’ll write a letter to your grandmother. Stay there from now on, and do not come back to the capital!”
The events of today had terrified her.
Although Jiannan-wang was known for his virtuous reputation, she had heard from Su Sheng that this prince was definitely not as gentle as he appeared on the surface.
She was ignorant of the intricacies of officialdom, and didn’t care about the power struggles between the major families. She simply didn’t want her daughter to marry someone as two-faced as Jiannan-wang.
She also didn’t want her daughter to become involved in the turbulent affairs in the capital.
Therefore, making her leave was the best option!
“Mother, I’m not leaving!” Tears immediately welled up in Su Xi’er’s eyes and flowed down her face. “I want to stay, I want to be with you all!”
“Dear child, you must listen to your mother this time,” Madam Su said firmly.
She knew that Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan would inevitably find an opportunity to bring Xi’er into the palace in the future; that woman hadn’t given up scheming against her daughter!
Su Xi’er burst into tears and threw herself, sobbing, into her mother’s arms: “I won’t leave. Mother, I won’t leave!”
After leaving the palace, Su Sheng spent some time exchanging pleasantries with other officials before heading home. Upon arriving, he went directly to his daughter’s courtyard.
When he caught sight of the servants busily packing luggage, he paused for a moment before making his way into the inner chamber, where he found the mother and daughter sitting together, both wiping away tears.
“Father.” Su Xi’er rose and bowed.
Su Sheng quickly waved his hand and told her to straighten up, then went and sat down beside her.
But then he just looked at his daughter, unable to bring himself to speak.
Madam Su choked back her tears and fought a losing battle to keep them suppressed. She glared at him, saying: “Su Sheng! Are you satisfied now?”
Never before had she called her husband by his full name like this. Her fury was evident.
Su Xi’er was shocked, and quickly grabbed her mother’s hand.
Su Sheng simply looked at his wife and remained silent.
“Why did you hesitate today?!” Madam Su’s teeth ground together. “If His Majesty hadn’t spoken up, would you have agreed to this marriage?!”
Su Sheng’s hesitation and agony were very well-concealed, but Madam Su had been married to him since they were youths and knew him too well. She knew he was considering his options.
Naturally, Su Xi’er was aware of this too.
If His Majesty hadn’t interrupted her father’s unfinished words, perhaps he would have…..
But she didn’t blame her father. His concern and affection for her were genuine, so in that situation, he must have been the one suffering the most.
“You’re always busy with this and that, always thinking about the Su family as a whole, but what about our daughter?” Madam Su’s tears flowed profusely. “For the sake of those outsiders and your backer, you were willing to sacrifice our daughter’s entire life!”
“Is the child that woman left behind more important than the child I gave birth to?!” Even in her fury, Madam Su made an effort to suppress her voice so that those outside wouldn’t overhear.
Su Sheng remained silent throughout, his expression sorrowful.
He took one last, long look at Su Xi’er, then stood up and walked away.
But before stepping through the door, he stopped and said in a hoarse voice: “Once things settle down here, I will bring you home.”
Having said that, he walked out the door without looking back.
Su Xi’er stared blankly toward the doorway, her heart pounding in her chest.
She slowly shifted her gaze until it fell upon her mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Fighting back tears, she said softly: “Who is ‘that woman?’ Father, he hasn’t…..”
He was not a loyal minister.
As it turned out, the Su family was not the upright and virtuous family they claimed to be at all!
They were the same.
It turned out that everyone was the same!
Su Xi’er gave a soft chuckle and wiped her tears.
“I’ll go.”
What Imperial Examinations, what bringing honor to the family, what serving the common people – even if she were to enter officialdom, she would be an ignorant pawn in the hands of some other force.
From an insignificant speck of dust, she would transform into an expendable “pawn” who was always under someone’s control.
She had no desire to be controlled, nor to act against her own conscience.
Leaving might truly be the best option.
*
*
Early the next morning.
Chu Jiubian dressed in his court attire and went to Yangxin Hall for breakfast, only to hear that Su Xi’er was already preparing to leave the capital.
He wasn’t very surprised.
After just two brief encounters, he could tell that she was an ambitious girl – otherwise, she wouldn’t have registered for the Imperial Examinations.
For a spirited and ambitious young woman like her, what mattered most was the realization of her self-worth.
However, the actions of Xiao Ruohan and Jiannan-wang last night had directly negated Su Xi’er’s value as a talented and ambitious “person,” effectively relegating her back to the confines of her private chambers.
They had used her marriage as leverage, exploiting the power behind her while intending to restrict her as a human being.
As factions clashed, her life and marriage were on everyone’s lips.
But from beginning to end, no one had ever asked her opinion.
She must have realized that despite growing up, she was still far from being able to make her own decisions.
After all, if even her father, a high-ranking minister in the court, sometimes found himself powerless, how could a young, inexperienced person like her expect anything different?
Her desire to secure a better future for herself seemed to have become a joke because of this absurd farce.
She couldn’t save the common people or benefit society. She couldn’t even save herself.
She was merely a transient figure in this powerful current of events, someone whose name wouldn’t even be remembered.
Nobody knew her as Su Xi’er.
Therefore, her departure was actually the most suitable option.
Leaving the capital city would open up a wider world for her, and perhaps she would find a chance to start anew.
The departure of a young lady from a prominent family sparked discussion in the inner quarters of various households for two or three days, but after that, everyone lost interest.
On the evening of the third day after the banquet, Chu Jiubian received the first installment of profits from the refined salt trade.
Wearing light, loose-fitting robes, he casually reclined on the soft couch in Yaotai Residence, his legs stretched out to occupy the entire couch.
Three large boxes filled with gleaming silver coins sat on the floor, shining with an alluring luster.
The palace servants had all withdrawn after delivering these items, and even Xiao Xiangzi wasn’t present in the room to attend to him.
Chu Jiubian raised his eyes toward the man standing next to the boxes, his gaze shifting subtly.
“Who is all of this from?” he asked.
Qin Xiao paced over to him and sat down right next to his legs.
Chu Jiubian gave him a look. He drew his legs inward slightly, but didn’t withdraw them completely.
“The Qiu family just sent over their portion of the profits, saying they were worried that the Imperial Court might need it urgently, and that they will send the rest once the trade caravans return.”
Chu Jiubian gave a light scoff: “They finally did it.”
“What a waste of those two excellent jars of wine.”
“Ten jars,” Chu Jiubian corrected.
Qin Xiao smiled and said: “En, consider this as the payment for this lord’s portion of the wine.”
“It’s not enough.”
“Then consider me in debt for now.” Qin Xiao turned his head toward him and asked with a smile: “Would you like me to write a letter of guarantee?”
Chu Jiubian ignored him.
Then Qin Xiao said: “The salt trade should have yielded you a larger share of the profits, but the Imperial Treasury is currently short of funds. I will certainly compensate you later.”
They hadn’t actually discussed the details of profit sharing before this.
Chu Jiubian had just tacitly acquiesced to putting all of the dividends received into the Imperial Treasury first, in order to be used for the Imperial Examination system and infrastructure development.
He truly hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to send him money.
But no one disliked money, and Chu Jiubian was naturally delighted to see all of this silver.
It was so much money – enough to last him a couple of years.
If it was all given to Jiang Shuoye for steel production, he would likely make faster progress.
However, these were all government funds, and putting them to use would leave a trail. Qin Xiao would definitely find out that it had all been used in the Northern Desert region, and then Chu Jiubian’s connection with the region would cease to be hidden.
Chu Jiubian rested his chin on his hand and turned his head to regard the other man, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Had Qin Xiao genuinely given him this money to spend, or was he waiting to see where he would spend it?
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Neon Dragonfly Translations 