Chapter Twenty-Four: Unexpected Events

After returning to the residence, Qin Muchuan was summoned to the Snow Pine Hall for a reprimand by the Duke of Qin before he could even catch his breath. Meanwhile, Gu Qiulan returned restlessly to the small courtyard of Mingyue Pavilion. Miaomiao, puzzled, tugged at Qiaoyun’s sleeve and whispered, “Sister Qiaoyun, what’s wrong with the boss? She used to be overjoyed whenever she saw a pretty face, and today that Young Master Zhou even confessed his admiration. He said he’d longed for her and had no regrets in this life—so why does the boss look so unhappy?”

Qiaoyun patted her little head. “If someone locked you up for ten days or half a month, would you be happy?”

Miaomiao shook her head without hesitation. After a moment, a sudden realization dawned on her. “Ah! I get it! Was it the boss who kept Young Master Zhou locked up?!”

Before Qiaoyun could answer, Gu Qiulan spun around. “What do you mean ‘locked up’?! He stayed of his own free will, all right? I never force anyone to do anything! Besides, how was I supposed to know he was a nobleman from the capital?”

“Sure, you lured him into the desert, tossed him a bag of water, and asked if he’d rather stay as your mountain consort or try to walk out alive on his own,” Qiaoyun sneered. “Truly voluntary, indeed.”

Miaomiao stared at Gu Qiulan, eyes wide. “Boss, you… you’re incredible! So did you just use and abandon Young Master Zhou?”

“Miaomiao, that’s not how you use the phrase ‘use and abandon,’” Gu Qiulan was about to defend herself when Qiaoyun shot her another glare.

“She did far more than that. Young Master Zhou was just passing through Yanzhou, but this woman, driven by lust, led her men to stop his carriage. It was the dead of winter, the horses were startled, and the carriage plunged into an icy lake. Young Master Zhou fell into the water. I suspect his frail health today can be traced back to that bitter incident. Gu Qiulan, look at the trouble you’ve caused!”

For the first time, Miaomiao saw her boss scolded so harshly without a single retort. She hunkered down, as meek as a toothless tiger, utterly spiritless.

Qiaoyun, realizing she’d been severe, waved her hand. “Enough. To be fair, if not for your blundering interference, the Zhou family would have died at the hands of those Western horse bandits. You saved his life, but ruined his future. If you think that balances the ledger, then let him go from your heart.”

Gu Qiulan’s face remained awkward, her eyes dull, her whole body slumped over the table like a pile of soggy mud. She muttered, “What’s done is done. Nothing can change it now. I just worry—now that he knows I’ve married into the Duke’s household, will he act? If he already knew I was married, was that wager back then really just about Sun Ruosi?”

“What do you plan to do, boss?” Miaomiao asked curiously.

“Hmm…” Gu Qiulan was thoroughly vexed. “If I were my old self, I’d strike first. If I couldn’t kill Zhou Tianyou, I’d at least cripple him so he’d be bedridden for years.”

Miaomiao fell silent at once. Sister Qiaoyun always said the boss was once the scourge of Yanzhou, hated by all. She’d never believed it, thinking Qiaoyun just didn’t like the boss…

“But I swore before my ancestors I wouldn’t be a scoundrel anymore,” Gu Qiulan said gloomily. “Besides, I wronged Zhou Tianyou first. Maybe I should sneak over to the Zhou residence and let him beat me up to vent his anger. What do you think?”

Qiaoyun looked at her with a rare hint of comfort. “A prodigal daughter mending her ways is worth her weight in gold. Seems you haven’t lost your conscience entirely.”

“You can’t be serious…” Gu Qiulan was close to tears. “You really want me to let him beat me? When he went after Sun Ruosi, he broke both her legs in one move! I don’t want to become a cripple so soon. What am I to do, Qiaoyun? Why are these pretty boys so hard to figure out? They’re such a torment.”

Qiaoyun was speechless. She should never have placed her hopes in this woman whose conscience had long since been devoured!

At the Zhou residence, a young servant was bringing over freshly brewed ginseng soup. The study was deathly silent; Zhou Tianyou seemed to have become one with his surroundings. The servant dared not make a sound for fear of disturbing him. After quietly setting down the porcelain bowl, he was about to leave when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Tianyou playing with a dagger.

After a moment’s hesitation, the servant finally ventured, “Young master, the doctor said you should drink the soup while it’s hot.”

Zhou Tianyou replied indifferently, “I know. You may go.”

The servant wanted to say more, but seeing Zhou Tianyou’s unchanged expression and the coldness in his eyes, he could only bow and withdraw quietly. The wide, silent study seemed all the more desolate after the faint sound of voices. The steaming bowl of ginseng soup mocked his frailty and helplessness, and for a moment Zhou Tianyou found it unbearably harsh to look upon.

The dagger in his hand grew heavier and heavier. Zhou Tianyou’s eyes were cold and blank. “To think you actually got married… Ha, Gu Qiulan, so you’re capable of marriage after all! I’d like to know, if I were to cut open your chest, would I find a heart in there at all?” Suddenly, with a forceful jab, the sharp blade sank deep into the wooden desk.

That night, the examination papers from the Hall of Gentlemen had already been sent to the Emperor Chongde. At that moment, Minister Gu stood quietly to one side, awaiting the emperor’s review. The examination for officials’ sons was usually a mere formality, and the emperor cared little for it. Lately, however, he’d been preoccupied with the upcoming Jiangnan examinations, and now, seeing the rather unremarkable answers of the court’s young scions, he frowned, clearly disappointed. He set aside a few that were passable, then picked up another; though the essay itself was ordinary, the handwriting was bold and spirited.

“Qin Muchuan?” Emperor Chongde tapped the name on the paper with his finger. Minister Gu’s heart skipped a beat, his nerves tightening. Sure enough, the emperor glanced up with a faint smile. “This is the young man your daughter married, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“His calligraphy is quite impressive.” The emperor laid aside his red brush. “I’ve heard the Duke of Qin’s son is a fine figure, and not long ago he invited Scholar Sun’s son for an outing east of the city. It’s good that young men make friends so widely.”

Minister Gu was baffled, unsure what the emperor truly meant. He waited, but the emperor said nothing more, so he could only stand there, anxious and uncertain.

A few days earlier, Emperor Chongde had visited Consort Zhou. By chance, he overheard a young palace maid telling jokes to amuse the consort. Not wishing to interrupt, he stood quietly by. The maid recounted how, in the previous reign, two officials’ sons, after winning too much at the gambling house and angering the owner, set fire to the place together…

The maid told it with such charm that all present laughed. The emperor listened with a smile and, later that day, summoned the Imperial Information Officer…

Finally, the emperor finished marking the names of the successful candidates. The palace secretary took the list and carefully copied it. Minister Gu, seeing Qin Muchuan’s name among them, breathed a sigh of relief.

Then the emperor spoke. “This Qin Muchuan seems well-read. He could be given a minor office or two. Since he is your son-in-law, Minister Gu, what position do you think suits him?”

Minister Gu’s mind went blank. He knew all too well his son-in-law’s true abilities, but since Qin Muchuan was not his own son, neither praise nor criticism seemed safe.

Before he could answer, the emperor continued, “Let me give it some thought. There’s no rush. It’s late; you may withdraw.”

Minister Gu’s heart was still pounding as he left the imperial study. It was nearly midnight, but, heedless of the curfew, he obtained a travel pass from the prime minister and hurried straight to the Duke’s mansion.

—In-law, disaster has struck! Your son has caught the emperor’s eye!