Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter 32

A few years ago, a young and breathtakingly beautiful woman arrived in Qinghe Square. No one knew her background, but she managed to acquire the Qibao Society, a shop specializing in seven types of treasures: gold, silver, glaze, coral, giant clam, red pearl, and agate.

Trading in luxury goods was not common for merchants, and the fact that the owner was a young woman caused a great sensation in the capital. The city was filled with wealthy men, and most who visited the Qibao Society were merely looking to catch a glimpse of the beauty. The threshold of the shop was worn down, and business was booming every day. Over the years, the entire Qinghe Square transformed into the Qibao Society, effectively becoming a grand shopping mall.

The young woman would step out of the mall twice a day—once in the morning and once in the afternoon. In the morning, she walked from the first storefront to the last; in the afternoon, she reversed the path. It was a daily ritual. Every time the beauty appeared, the customers seemed mesmerized, while some scoundrels would follow her with lewd laughter.

Two months ago, Gu Yuren had seen the girl in front of the Qibao Society. She was indeed stunning: her skin was as fair as jade, her cheeks tinged with a soft pink like peach blossoms in spring, her eyes bright, and her nose bridge high. Gu Yuren still remembered a tiny black mole near the corner of her mouth. She was not a mere girl, but a woman in her twenties.

On September 18th, Gu Yuren marked his first anniversary at the Ministry of Justice. He rose at dawn, washed, and rode out from his home in Garden of Osmanthus with his younger brother, Gu Yusheng. After passing through Qinghe Square, his brother headed north toward the Imperial Palace for the morning court session, while Gu Yuren turned west toward the Ministry of Justice.

Shortly after the hour of the Rabbit (5:00–7:00 AM), Gu Yuren arrived at the Ministry. He signed in at the main hall and then walked through a long corridor to his office on the east side. He opened his door, lit a lamp, and opened the windows. His office was small but tidy. His desk was piled with case files from various prefectures, ranging from civil disputes to major criminal trials.

Gu Yuren sat at his desk, picked up a fine-tipped brush, dipped it in ink, and began to review the files one by one. Sometimes he frowned in deep thought; other times he nodded to himself. He scrutinized every piece of evidence and every statement with meticulous care, ensuring no detail was overlooked.

Although Gu Yuren had ranked second in the martial examinations, he was also a scholar who had passed the civil service exams. His three years as a military judge in Yangzhou had provided him with experience, though it offered little help for the bureaucratic nature of the Ministry of Justice. He remembered how, on this day last year, he had sat in his office looking at legal codes like the "Ming Code" and "Cases of Redressing Grievances," feeling as bewildered and fresh as a child reading the "Three Character Classic" for the first time.

After a year of diligent study, Gu Yuren was not only competent in his work but had gradually become a primary officer of the Ministry.

When he finished his shift that afternoon, Gu Yuren rode his "Red Rabbit" horse home at a leisurely pace. The horse was a fiery steed with a red mane, once the mount of Qi Qiongqiong when she guarded her salt carts. After Gu Yuren became a military judge, she had gifted him her beloved horse. The Red Rabbit was temperamental and naturally fast, often trotting even when walking. Consequently, Gu Yuren always dismounted and led it by the bridle when passing through the crowded Qinghe Square, fearing it might accidentally strike someone.

Gu Yuren passed through Qinghe Square twice a day. In the early morning, the streets were empty, save for the two red lanterns glowing in front of the Qibao Society. In the afternoon, however, the area was a sea of people.

Gu Yusheng had long wanted to buy a jade comb for Qi Qiongqiong, but the crowds had always deterred him. Today, being his anniversary, he decided to buy it as a gift. After leading his horse past the shop, Gu Yuren tied it to a grey-blue stone hitching post carved with the image of a horse.

Inside, the young proprietress greeted him with a flattering smile and presented a wrapped jade comb with both hands. After paying, Gu Yuren tucked the comb into his robes, prepared to leave.

"Master Gu, would you care to stay for a cup of tea before heading home?"

Gu Yuren was startled. He turned to see the breathtakingly beautiful shopkeeper. "Miss, how do you know my surname?"

She smiled. "Master Gu Yuren, I know not only your surname, but that your father is Gu Datong, your brother is Gu Yusheng, and your sister is Gu Yuru."

Gu Yuren’s eyes widened. "Who are you? How do you know so much about my family?"

She lowered her voice. "Brother Yuren, I am Lin Xiaolian, the youngest daughter of Widow Lin from the salt flats."

Gu Yuren was stunned. "Lin Xiaolian? After your sister, Lin Dalian, was raped and murdered shortly after her wedding, you and your mother vanished. So, you came to the capital?"

They moved further into the room. Lin Xiaolian replied, "Yes, but to be precise, we were lured here under false pretenses."

Gu Yuren asked, "Who deceived you? I am an official now; I can arrest them."

"Thank you, Brother Yuren," she said. "I was deceived by an official from the Yangzhou Prefecture while trying to track down my sister's killer. That man is now in the capital, and I am one of his concubines. He holds a rank much higher than yours; you cannot punish him."

"Who is he?" Gu Yuren pressed.

Lin Xiaolian hesitated. "I cannot tell you his true identity yet, but I can tell you this: the killer was someone from near the salt flats, and he has secret ties to the man I serve."

"Who was he?"

"I only know he is skilled in martial arts. His identity remains unclear."

"And your mother?"

Lin Xiaolian wept. "She died of a sudden illness less than six months after we arrived."

"And the Qibao Society?"

She lowered her head. "It is the property of my master..."

***

At the Garden of Osmanthus, Qi Qiongqiong had been in the capital for a year without once going out to shop. Last night, Gu Yuren had given her the jade comb, and she couldn't stop admiring it. "So the capital really is golden, and it truly holds treasures!"

That morning, she had dreamed of the long journey from Yangcheng to the capital. She dreamed she was still at a post station, shouting for the servants to prepare the carriage.

"Sister, are you awake?" Qi Qiongqiong opened her eyes to find her younger sister, Qi Yaoyao, looking at her. "Yaomei, why are you here?"

"This is our home, sister. Why wouldn't I be?"

Qi Qiongqiong looked around and sighed. "I thought I was still on the road." She scrambled out of bed.

"Hurry and wash up," Yaoyao said. "Aunt Rouya is waiting for us to eat."

After breakfast, Qi Qiongqiong told her sister, "Today, you are going to take me shopping. I want to see if the streets of the capital are truly golden as you wrote in your letters!"

Yaoyao, feeling guilty for her past poetic exaggerations, played the part of the apologetic sister. "Sister, that was just... literary flair! I'll treat you to a meal at the best restaurant in the capital to make up for it!"

After her husband finished his court duties that afternoon, Gu Yuren rode to the Ministry of War to find his brother. He was told that Gu Yusheng was at Yujin Garden, training with Prince Zhao Yuan.

Gu Yuren found them there. Prince Zhao Yuan was a sharp, ambitious young man who had heard of Gu Yuren’s reputation as both a scholar and a martial expert. He was impressed by Gu Yuren, and after seeing his skills, requested that the Emperor appoint him as his personal instructor in mounted spear and archery. The Emperor agreed.

From that day on, the brothers served as the Prince’s mentors—Yusheng taught him classics and etiquette, while Yuren taught him military strategy and cavalry arts. The three young men grew close, united by their shared dream of supporting a northern expedition to liberate the suffering people and unify the country.

Meanwhile, at the Wuni Lake Water Stronghold, a secluded group of three or four hundred women lived in houses hidden among the lotus leaves. Their leader was Zhao Chuyun, the former wife of Sima Xi and a woman of great ambition who had founded the stronghold to contribute to national unity.

With Zhao Chuyun and her deputy, Guan Yi, away in the capital, the third leader, Quan Niannian, was in charge. A clever and beautiful woman skilled in portraiture, she spent her days longing for a husband and secretly painting portraits of Prince Zhao Yuan, whom she had seen while he lived at the stronghold.

On the 18th, she led two other women, Mulan and Guihua, out of the stronghold to recruit a martial arts instructor. After traveling through the bamboo forests, they eventually arrived in Jingnan. While searching for a master, they witnessed two soldiers training on a field—the Prince, Zhao Yuan, and the General of the South.

Quan Niannian was instantly smitten by the general. After realizing who they were, the women were awestruck. They returned to the stronghold, and Niannian painted a portrait of the general, locking it away in a chest.

When Zhao Chuyun returned, she asked about the instructor. Niannian showed her the portrait. Zhao Chuyun sighed, "That is the General of the South, a high official of the court. You cannot simply hire him."

"Is there no hope?" Niannian asked, her eyes shining.

Zhao Chuyun’s smile faded. "He is already married, with two wives."

Niannian’s light dimmed, and she wept, burying her head in the elder's arms.

That same morning, forces from Northern Zhen crossed the border, pillaging and slaughtering. The General of the South led his troops to intercept them, annihilating the invaders in a swift, decisive battle.

In the corner of a nearby village, hidden from view, Lu Hong, a magistrate official, watched the aftermath with satisfaction. He turned to his confidant. "My suspicions were correct. It was indeed this General who destroyed the Northern Zhen forces. Write a secret letter to Chancellor Qin immediately."

"I shall serve you, my Lord," the confidant replied.