Chapter 280: Easier to Deceive Oneself Than Others
Mr. Shao pondered for two days, writing and discarding a thick stack of paper, and finally finished a letter to Zhou Shennian. Just as he was about to send it, he felt it was inappropriate. He and Zhou Shennian were barely acquainted, and writing such a letter out of the blue was very improper.
As soon as the thought of impropriety arose, Mr. Shao felt it was increasingly inappropriate the more he thought about it. Mr. Shao then threw the meticulously written letter into the paper-burning basin and picked up his brush to write a letter to Master Hong Shi’an, sending it to the Capital City along with Master Hong’s letter.
Upon receiving the letter, Hong Shi’an quickly forwarded it to Zhou Shennian.
Gu Yan finished reading the letter, which had been passed through four or five hands, and slapped it onto the long desk. He looked at Zhou Shennian and asked, “Is scheming against A Nan not enough? You want to extend your reach to Ni Rushi as well? Do I look that foolish?”
Zhou Shennian was stunned by Gu Yan’s question. After a moment, he quickly waved his hands and said, “They are the ones who are blind.”
Before Zhou Shennian could finish speaking, Gu Yan let out a cold snort. “Didn’t you praise Dong Xi and that fellow Wu yesterday for their good judgment and keen insight into people?”
“Yes, no, yes, I mean, Young Lord, you used to, used to…” Zhou Shennian looked at Gu Yan with a dry smile.
Gu Yan glanced at him coldly and, after a moment, snorted.
“I saw Wu Jie yesterday. He asked me how Young Lord had been lately, and didn’t mention Ni Rushi at all. I suspect Dong Xi has become suspicious of me,” Zhou Shennian quickly changed the subject.
“Write a letter to Shao Yunsheng and tell him to write to you directly if he has anything. If it’s urgent, have it sent from the villa. Even if there’s nothing, have him write to you every ten days or half a month to chat about everyday matters,” Gu Yan instructed.
“Yes.”
“The day before yesterday, after everyone had quieted down, Huang Xianzhou sneakily went to see Wu Miaozhen of the Cheng Zi Gang. Wu Miaozhen said Huang Xianzhou was talking about providing relief to the families of the deceased and injured, and that Little Tiger was just a child. What do you think?” Gu Yan looked at Zhou Shennian.
Zhou Shennian thought of Huang Xianzhou’s overly proper demeanor and his earnest attempts at being smooth. “For a person as upright as Mr. Huang to visit when it was completely dark, and Wu Miaozhen being a widow, if he were truly discussing something as righteous as relief for the deceased and injured, it would feel very out of place.”
“Hmm, what do you think he would say to Wu Miaozhen?” Gu Yan asked.
“Given Mr. Huang’s character, it certainly wouldn’t be a private matter. Is there any other news?” Zhou Shennian asked cautiously.
Gu Yan’s judgment on what Mr. Huang said to Wu Miaozhen might determine Huang Xianzhou’s future prospects, even his life. He dared not speculate.
“Yang Wu said that after Huang Xianzhou witnessed the fight between the wharf gangs, he was, in Yang Wu’s words, like he had lost his parents.” Gu Yan gave a faint, almost imperceptible snort. “These weak scholars should all go to the battlefield and see for themselves!”
“Did Mr. Huang ask Wu Miaozhen to kill fewer people?” Zhou Shennian probed.
“If it were about killing fewer people, why would Wu Miaozhen hide it? Huang Xianzhou went to warn Wu Miaozhen that if she suppressed the other gangs and became the boss of the Linhai Town Wharf, my blade would fall upon her,” Gu Yan sneered.
Zhou Shennian looked at Gu Yan, his heart filled with apprehension, and dared not speak.
“Write a letter to Huang Xianzhou and tell him that I intend to recommend him to head the Maritime Tax Bureau. Convey this privately, as a personal friend,” Gu Yan continued to instruct.
“Yes.” Zhou Shennian’s heart settled, and he responded with a very crisp “yes.”
Gu Yan glanced at Zhou Shennian.
“Regarding Dong Xi wanting to see A Nan, help him if you can,” Gu Yan continued to instruct.
“Yes.” Zhou Shennian hesitated for a moment, then asked with some uncertainty, “Should I say a few words to Miss Li’s side?”
Gu Yan looked at Zhou Shennian for a moment and then asked slowly, “Who would say it? You?”
“This…” Zhou Shennian gave a dry laugh and spread his hands.
How could he say it? Would Miss Li listen to him?
“No need to say anything. Dong Xi has truly misjudged A Nan.” After a pause, Gu Yan abruptly changed the subject. “Madam Ye left the city at dawn today.”
Zhou Shennian was stunned. He didn’t understand this statement. He knew who Madam Ye was, but what did it mean that Madam Ye left the city at dawn?
Gu Yan looked at the dazed Zhou Shennian and explained, “A Nan stayed at Miss Shi’s place all day yesterday. I heard Miss Shi invited her over.”
“Oh!” Zhou Shennian uttered an “oh” and then got stuck. This was not a topic he should elaborate on, nor did he know what to say. The Young Lord’s fiancée and his former fiancée were interacting frequently; this was too complicated!
Gu Yan glanced sideways at Zhou Shennian, who was giving an awkward, dry laugh, and after a moment, sighed.
A Nan constantly visiting Miss Shi was quite a headache and a bit vexing for him, but he couldn’t stop A Nan from visiting Miss Shi. Firstly, there was no reason. Secondly, even if he said something, A Nan would most likely not listen to him. As for Miss Shi, or hinting at the Shi family, that would be too much of an insult, as he was the one who had wronged Miss Shi.
Alas, there wasn’t even anyone to talk to or discuss this matter with.
“This, this should be considered an internal family matter. Logically, if the Young Lord were married, this would be something to discuss with the Young Lord’s Consort,” Zhou Shennian said, feeling uncomfortable under Gu Yan’s sideways glance, trying to make conversation.
Gu Yan let out a soft “oh,” acknowledging that this was indeed correct. Even if A Nan didn’t listen to him, he could at least ask A Nan what she thought, and perhaps learn from A Nan what Miss Shi was thinking.
“You’re right!” Gu Yan smiled.
………………
Madam Ye, Miss Shi’s mother, hadn’t slept much all night. As dawn broke, she hurried into her carriage and headed out of the city.
Miss Shi wasn’t too surprised to see her mother.
Based on her understanding of her mother, when Miss Li first visited, her mother could tolerate it. She and Miss Li had met a few times in Pingjiang Prefecture. Now that Miss Li was in the Capital City, it was only proper for her to visit her, who had retreated from the worldly affairs of the Capital.
But yesterday’s visit, staying for the entire day, was unacceptable.
“With so many matters at home, how do you have time to visit, Mother?” Miss Shi welcomed her mother, Madam Ye.
“Let’s talk inside!” Madam Ye, holding up her skirt, walked quickly.
Miss Shi glanced at the group of people with lowered heads and followed Madam Ye, unhurriedly, into the main house.
Once inside and seated, Madam Ye impatiently waved her hand. “You don’t need to serve us, all of you, leave!”
Yu Lan glanced at Miss Shi and, along with the others, retreated behind the hanging flower gate.
Miss Shi sat down and opened the hearth screen, preparing to make tea.
“That Miss Li came yesterday? She stayed here all day? The entire day?” Madam Ye asked abruptly.
“Mm.” Miss Shi slowly arranged the tea set, her “mm” being extremely affirmative.
“What did she come for? What does she want?” Madam Ye stood up and sat opposite Miss Shi.
“I invited her,” Miss Shi said, her eyes lowered.
“What? You invited her? What are you trying to do? Are you still not giving up?” Madam Ye was astonished.
“Mother!” Miss Shi’s voice rose.
“What are you doing? You invited her, do you know what people will think when she comes because you invited her? How will people see you? How will they see our Shi family? What are you thinking? Huh?” Madam Ye’s voice grew hoarse.
“I invited her to talk, what’s wrong with that? I don’t care what others think, I’m a nun!” Miss Shi felt a surge of grievance from her mother’s barrage of questions.
“What could you possibly have to talk about with her? Even if you’ve become a nun and don’t care what others think, you should still consider your family, shouldn’t you? What is this you’re doing?” Madam Ye’s tears began to fall.
“Did Prince Rui’s Mansion speak to you?” Miss Shi stopped making tea and looked at Madam Ye.
“What? So, if Prince Rui’s Mansion doesn’t come to our doorstep, you think everything is fine, is that it?” Madam Ye’s temper flared again.
When the Young Lord had just broken off the engagement, her heart was filled with sadness and pity for her daughter’s unfortunate fate. From the moment she learned the Young Lord was to marry that Miss Li, and then seeing that Miss Li, her sadness had unknowingly transformed into anger, directed at both the Young Lord and her daughter.
That Miss Li was inferior to her daughter in every way. Why did the Young Lord dislike her daughter and fancy Miss Li?
It must be that her daughter’s bad temper angered the Young Lord. Look, even now, her mother’s temper was rising because of this child’s defiance. How could someone with the Young Lord’s temper tolerate it?
“Look at your temper! You have to wait until they speak to us directly? Can’t you think ahead?” Madam Ye was furious. “If you had just thought a little more, if you could have considered others, you wouldn’t have angered the Young Lord. Look at now, look at that Miss Li, how is she comparable to you? You…”
“Mother!” Miss Shi raised her voice, interrupting her mother.
“Fine, fine! You still can’t let anyone say anything! Look at you! If you could just control your temper, you wouldn’t have angered the Young Lord so much! And now you’re inviting that Miss Li again, what are you trying to do? You’re not giving up, are you? You…”
“Mother!” Miss Shi’s cry now held a hint of tears.
“Fine, fine, I won’t say anything, I…” Madam Ye’s tears fell. “Since childhood, I thought you were the most worry-free. It turns out you’ve been saving up all your troublesome years for the past decade, and now you’re giving it all to me!”
“Just consider me dead,” Miss Shi turned her head away.
“You foolish child, you’re alive, how can I consider you dead? Even if I consider you dead, what about others? Ever since that Miss Li arrived in Jianle City, everyone in the Capital has been watching our family, watching you. Yet, you met that Miss Li, and one visit wasn’t enough, you invited her a second time. Don’t think that just because you’re hiding outside the city, even if you were dead, you’d still be a Shi!” Madam Ye wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“I understand,” Miss Shi said, looking at her mother, whose tears were still flowing. “Has Sister-in-law complained about anything?”
“Even if your sister-in-law complained about something, wouldn’t it be justified?” Madam Ye pressed her teary eyes forcefully.
“I understand,” Miss Shi said woodenly.
“You’ve always been cunning since you were little. From the age of six or seven, I couldn’t guess what you were thinking. This time, no matter what you’re planning, you need to know that you’re not the same as before. Before, you were the Young Lord’s betrothed, the future Young Lord’s Consort. Now, you’re not! You need to know this, you must remember! Before you do or say anything, think about this first, think for yourself, and think for the Shi family!”
Madam Ye leaned forward and finished speaking word by word, then stood up.
“I’m leaving. Think carefully! Think clearly and remember! Before you think about this or do that, remember my words, and think about what you have to rely on! Before you invite that Miss Li again, think carefully, what do you have to rely on!”
Madam Ye, holding up her skirt, stormed out in anger.
Miss Shi sat there blankly, looking at the patch of blue sky outside.
For the past decade or so, her everything was based on her being a daughter of the Shi family, the future Young Lord’s Consort. Now and in the future, what would she rely on to live? What would she rely on to support the temper she had cultivated over the past decade?
