Chapter 32: As Expected of You, Pei Guanli

Chapter 32: As Expected of You, Pei Guanli

Night fell, and the normally tranquil Residence of the Marquis of Dingyuan grew lively.

Particularly within the Serene Pavilion.

The old Marquis, Xiao Yuan, sat high in the seat of honor, flanked by Zhang Xuan, the Duke of Qian, who wore the look of a man enjoying a good show, and Sun Fu, his face deep in thought.

On the opposing side sat Xiao Wang, the second master of the Xiao family, alongside the second young master Xiao Xuanshuo, and Xiao Dongchen and Xiao Autumn, both of the second branch.

Yet, in contrast to the old Marquis's placid demeanor, resentment was written across every other face.

A heavy silence lingered for a long while.

The old Marquis spoke slowly. "Wuge, did Chen Yi truly do such a thing?"

Xiao Wuge stood in the center of the hall, his head hanging low as he mumbled, "Grandfather, brother-in-law was merely putting on an act for the sake of the third-ranked scholar..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Xuanshuo erupted in fury. "As if it were any of his business!"

"A domestic affair of another family—how dare an outsider like him meddle? Moreover, behaving with such reckless abandon, did he ever consider the shadow it would cast upon our family?"

"If word gets out, how will the world view the House of Xiao?"

The old Marquis raised a hand to signal for silence, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Wang. "Second brother, you oversee the Hall of Punishment. What say you to this?"

Xiao Wang, appearing slightly younger than the Marquis, sat rigid in his armchair clad in a black brocade robe, his hands gripping the handle of his cane. Coldly, he spoke:

"This is hardly the first time he has conducted himself in such a manner."

"Setting aside his previous flight from the wedding, his last excursion took him straight to the pleasure quarters in the southern district. This time he went further, daring to abduct a girl from a decent family. What next?"

He looked at the old Marquis, his expression entirely blank. "In my estimation, fifty strokes of the cane, and banishment from the house."

The old Marquis's eyes flickered slightly as he looked toward the Duke of Qian, Zhang Xuan, and Sun Fu on the other side.

Before he could speak, Zhang Xuan offered a wry smirk. "Do not look at me. A mere outsider would never dare interfere in your family matters."

Xiao Xuanshuo opened his mouth to protest, but stopped, thoroughly stifled.

Sun Fu, however, scanned the room and let out a broad grin. "Old brother Xiao, this grandson-in-law of yours is truly a remarkable character."

"Oh?" The old Marquis gave a subtle, conspiratorial blink.

Sun Fu understood the gesture immediately, silently cursing the old rogue for wanting to play the saint while forcing him to play the villain.

"Though his conduct this time was rather reckless, consider this: until now, neither the third-ranked scholar nor his family have come knocking on our doors. This proves the outcome must have aligned with their desires."

"Perhaps in the future, when people speak of this affair, they will not accuse Chen Yi of overstepping, but may instead recount it as a delightful tale."

Catching the hostile glares from the second master and his faction, Sun Fu cleared his throat. "After all, that Li Huaigu is the newly minted third-ranked scholar of this civil examination. Granting him his wish means that in the future, his relationship with the House of Xiao..."

He left the thought unfinished.

Yet it was already clear that by befriending Li Huaigu, Chen Yi had effectively secured a valuable bond for the family.

Xiao Wuge nodded repeatedly, coming just short of shouting his agreement.

As for Xiao Wang, Xiao Xuanshuo, and the rest, their brows furrowed deep in disapproval; to them, such reasoning was pure sophistry. How could a bond be forged in so absurd a manner?

Furthermore, their family had thrived in Shuzhou for two centuries. It had always been others who courted their favor; when had they ever stooped to actively curry favor with a mere scholar?

Yet, seeing that the old Marquis remained silent, everyone understood his inclination.

Xiao Qiunyun glanced left and right, then said with a smile, "Uncle Sun speaks with reason. The scholar will soon enter the Shuzhou Administration Commission to serve alongside my elder brother. Resolving his heart's grievance does indeed constitute a good deed."

Xiao Dongchen's expression shifted slightly as he nodded in agreement. "My younger sister is correct. Uncle, Father, what do you think?"

Xiao Wang gave a cold snort, closing his eyes to rest his mind.

The old Marquis cast a glance at him, then waved his hand dismissively. "Since that is the case, this matter shall be treated as the others were. We will leave the final decision to Jinghong when she returns home."

"However, given these consecutive incidents, I believe it best for Chen Yi to remain within the estate for the time being. As for Wang Lixing and his men, let them guard the perimeter of the Spring Lotus Garden."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wang immediately leaned on his cane to stand. Taking two steps forward, he turned his head sharply. "Eldest brother, do not blame me for not warning you. This household still possesses a Hall of Punishment!"

With that parting shot, he walked out the door, his countenance freezing cold.

Seeing this, Xiao Qiunyun and Xiao Dongchen bowed to the old Marquis, offering the excuse of consoling their father before following him out.

Within moments, the Serene Pavilion grew far quieter.

Looking at his two old friends, the old Marquis forced a bitter smile and shook his head. "You have witnessed a farce."

Zhang Xuan leaned back lazily in his chair. "What of it? In your youth, your antics were far more outrageous than this Chen lad's, yet I never saw you laughing at yourself."

The old Marquis's face darkened. "You old scoundrel..."

"Is it not the truth? Have you forgotten the time you took me to the brothels?"

"Shut your mouth!"

He well knew that no decent words ever came from the mouth of this old rogue.

Sun Fu, long accustomed to their bickering, looked toward the doorway and remarked, "Old Xiao, a word aside from the main matter."

"Mm?"

"Your grandson-in-law's arrival in the Xiao family may not necessarily be a misfortune."

Observing his solemn expression, the old Marquis pondered for a moment, then nodded in sudden realization.

"What riddles are you two playing at?"

"Beyond words..."

...

Chen Yi had long anticipated this outcome, and it was hardly unacceptable to him.

The Xiao family was, after all, a hereditary house of military marquises of the Great Wei, and it was only natural that they cared deeply for their lineage and reputation.

Thus, after comforting Xiaodie, Xiao Wuge, and Wang Lixing's men, he proceeded to eat and sleep as if nothing had occurred. Outside the Spring Lotus Garden.

Wang Lixing wore a bitter expression, looking up at the moon with a heavy sigh.

The other armored guards shared his despondency, save for Ge the Third, who could not stop smacking his lips in wonder:

"You lot didn't witness the grand display. Had we not run fast enough and been caught by them, a sound thrashing would have been unavoidable."

"And that scholar met our young master, which was his great fortune. Had it been anyone else... how could he have encountered such luck, don't you agree?"

"Shut your trap!"

Liu the Fourth, leaning against the wall nearby, snapped in irritation.

Had he known this would be the consequence, he would never have agreed to act as Chen Yi's accomplice.

Now he was implicated and forced to stand guard outside the Spring Lotus Garden, under the watchful eyes of Wang Lixing and the others, forcing him to suppress any stray thoughts he might have harbored.

Noticing his expression, Ge the Third sheepishly held his tongue.

After a quiet moment, he recalled something and spoke up: "Fourth brother, I heard a comely maid servant went to your quarters today. Those two stable hands were green with envy."

Liu the Fourth froze, a sudden panic gripping his heart. Forcing himself to appear calm, he asked, "To my quarters? At what time?"

"Just a short while after we left the Marquis's residence. You didn't know?"

"Oh, her..."

"Tell me, who is it?"

Liu Sier glanced at him but offered no reply. Instead, he cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward Wang Lixing, announcing his need to head back and fetch a few necessities for the night ahead.

"Go and return swiftly. The Second Master and the Second Young Master have spoken; they mean business this time."

"Rest assured."

Watching his figure recede into the distance, Ge Laosan chuckled slyly. "Brother Xing, believe it or not, I'd wager Brother Si has a sweetheart."

Wang Lixing shot him a side-glance. "Brother Si was right about one thing."

"What?"

"Shut your mouth!"

Leaving aside the dreary atmosphere lingering outside the Spring Lotus Garden, Liu Sier hurried back to his quarters, struck a match to light a candle, and swept his gaze across the room.

Seeing that nothing amiss had transpired, he approached the bedstead, bent low to pry loose a brick from the floor underneath, and let out a quiet sigh of relief upon finding the secret correspondence intact and untouched.

He then pulled out the most recent missive and began deciphering it against a play script.

[You have been exposed. Find the person and kill them!]

[Furthermore, the fledgling has been handed over to another. He will contact you if necessary!]

As the words sank in, a murderous glint flashed in Liu Sier's eyes. "Who is it?!"

...

Deep into the night, once the Xiao Estate had finally fallen into silence.

Having dozed for a brief spell, Chen Yi quietly rose and made his way toward a separate wooden pavilion.

The moment she caught sight of him, Pei Guanli trotted over, looking quite pleased with herself as if eager to claim credit.

"Any discoveries?"

"Brother-in-law, you can rest easy when I'm on the job."

"Let's hear it."

When Pei Guanli finished recounting the events, Chen Yi stared at her blankly. "You just strolled through the Marquis's estate in broad daylight like that?"

Recalling the morning's escapade, Pei Guanli giggled uncontrollably. "They are all so foolish. Not a single soul noticed me."

Spoken like a true Pei Guanli.

Chen Yi shook his head in silent resignation. He had always known she was reckless, but he never anticipated she would be this bold.

Next time, no matter what, he would—never mind, he still required her assistance.

"Where is the list?"

"Right here." Pei Guanli fished a slip of paper from her bodice and handed it over. "I turned his entire room upside down, even digging out a few scraps of paper from beneath the bed, and copied everything down."

Chen Yi opened the slip and scanned the contents, finding nothing but titles of common miscellaneous books and play scripts.

Wait.

Gazing at the long string of celestial stems and numbers at the very end, he could not help but look up at Pei Guanli.

"You mentioned scraps of paper just now?"

"Yes, exactly like the secret missives from before."

"And you returned them to their exact hiding spots, I assume?"

"Of course," Pei Guanli chuckled mischievously. "Brother-in-law, aren't I incredible?"

"Incredible, you are the most incredible of all."

Chen Yi rolled his eyes and began searching the study according to the catalog on the paper, pulling the volumes out one by one to attempt a decryption against the code.

"Ah, so it's this play script, a Huangmei opera... he has decent taste."

(End of Chapter)