Chapter 62 – The Bright Under Suffering

Madam Sheng hesitated, saying, “This matter is ultimately shameful, and I’m also worried that you’re young and can’t hold your temper…” She paused for a moment.

Xu Chun, however, poured fuel on the fire. “I met Second Lang from the Han family on the street today. He actually said that Grandmother died for our second branch, that we took what belonged to the main branch and cursed us for sleeping on the wealth and glory Grandmother brought… And he said that the wheel of karma turns, and we’ll definitely face retribution someday…”

Madam Sheng was furious, her eyebrows rising. “What nonsense is he spouting? Our second branch hasn’t wronged anyone! They got what they deserved; it’s their own doing, the retribution for their own misdeeds!”

Xu Chun vaguely understood something. “From what I could gather from Second Lang Han, Eldest Sister and Aunt seem to have fallen ill due to this matter. Could it be related to Eldest Brother?”

Madam Sheng sneered. “Isn’t that so? The main branch had planned meticulously. Seeing that Guge passed the imperial examination, they hurriedly tried to adopt him over, hoping to gain an imperial scholar son-in-law for nothing. Who knew that Guge was actually Uncle’s posthumous child? Because the maidservant had already been let go, Old Lady knew that even if she brought him back, he couldn’t inherit the title. So she just put him under that muddled father of yours and raised him as the second branch’s illegitimate eldest son for twenty years!”

Xu Chun looked up in shock. “What?”

Madam Sheng sneered again. “Your muddled father could even mistake his own son, turning you, the legitimate eldest son, into the second son. Old Lady probably thought that if the second branch had no sons, the illegitimate eldest son would directly inherit the title. But who would’ve thought that I, having grown up by the sea, am robust. Even when I was newly married, I would still serve my mother-in-law while pregnant. Back then, the moment I entered the room, I found the scent unbearable, so I came up with a way to secretly switch the incense. Looking back now, it’s a good thing you were lucky…”

Madam Sheng remembered how she had been ridiculed and suppressed by various relatives of the Gongfu from so-called noble families when she first married in. She also remembered how her mother-in-law talked daily about the rules of merchant households needing to be properly established. Her eyes turned slightly red.

Xu Chun’s face was blank. “So, Eldest Brother was originally from the main branch?” He recalled how Grandmother treated him differently compared to Xu Guge. If she had arranged for Eldest Brother to be the second branch’s illegitimate eldest son through meticulous planning, how could she truly not care about him?

As for Grandmother, her favorite was undoubtedly the deceased Uncle.

Xu Chun remembered how Ninth Brother asked him nonchalantly about the reason for his father’s and his own disgraceful reputation, then spoke meaningfully about many things.

If everything was part of Grandmother’s arrangement spanning twenty years, the unlimited indulgence and doting, as well as the meticulous cultivation and discipline of Xu Guge, became such a stark and ironic contrast.

Xu Chun muttered, “How did this come to light.”

Madam Sheng said, “Haha, we really have to thank Imperial Censor He, the top scholar from the Ministry of Justice, for his remarkable crime-solving abilities. Your Eldest Brother’s birth mother, who had been kept secretly outside, died from drinking poison after the Dragon Boat Festival. In her hand was a handkerchief with your name written on it. Your Eldest Brother was smart enough to directly report it to the authorities. If he had returned home and directly confronted you, this matter might have just passed…”

Xu Chun asked, “The Dragon Boat Festival… That would be after the Dragon Boat Festival… What day in the fifth month?”

Madam Sheng said, “The eighth day of the fifth month. Actually, I was completely in the dark until that day when the imperial edict arrived at the palace. The case was already solved, and it turned out that Eldest Sister thought Xu Guge was keeping a concubine outside and went to expose him. She threatened to report him and take away his official rank. That woman must have been narrow-minded and loved her son dearly, so she drank the poison. That’s how I found out the truth. Later, I forced your Eldest Brother to tell me, and he confessed out of guilt.”

Xu Chun calculated the dates. It was the same day he had wanted to see a play but was stopped by Ninth Brother. If he had gone into the city that day, the servants might have returned to the mansion…

Madam Sheng continued, “The Ministry of Justice didn’t allow any leaks of the case details. Fortunately, this was all handled under secret imperial edict, so people outside wouldn’t know. Only our family, the Bai family, and the Han family know. Those two families won’t dare to spread it for the sake of their own reputation. As for Second Lang Han, who spouts shit, you don’t have to pay attention to him in the future. His elders will naturally discipline him. I’ll send someone to speak to Mrs. Han, and she’ll surely teach him a lesson.”

Xu Chun asked, “That imperial edict… Can I see it?”

Madam Sheng said, “It was a secret edict, and they collected it back after announcing it. But afterward, I privately transcribed it from memory, fearing that I might make a mistake in the future and violate the edict. If you want to see it, here you go.”

Xu Chun knew that Mother must have shown it to Uncle, but he didn’t expose her. He watched as Madam Sheng unlocked a box and found a page of paper to show him.

Although Madam Sheng claimed to be able to write and calculate, she hadn’t studied classics, so she couldn’t remember overly obscure phrases. She only remembered the gist. After Xu Chun carefully read it, he returned it to Madam Sheng.

Madam Sheng said, “If it weren’t for Scholar He reporting this to the emperor, who was shocked and directly issued an edict to handle it while preserving the face of our Jingguo Gongfu, otherwise, if it had spread out…”

She shook her head and continued, “Your grandmother was going to be stripped of her title. That night, she called me and your father in first and apologized to us alone. She cried and shed tears, saying she had been momentarily confused, and it was mainly because she loved Uncle too much… She said she planned to commit suicide before the Ministry of Rites took away her title. This way, she could still be buried according to the rites of a titled lady and preserve the dignity of Jingguo Gongfu. She also praised your father and me for our kindness. Over the years, she had misunderstood us. Now it seemed that reviving Jingguo Gongfu would rely on our second branch. People often say kind words on their deathbed, urging us to continue looking after the children of the main branch in the future. She didn’t ask for help, only that they not be ground down by others.”

Xu Chun’s eyes turned slightly red. Madam Sheng whispered, “Your father cried like a baby. Your grandmother was frail and old, yet she personally apologized, so he agreed to everything. He had been deceived his whole life, always being told he wasn’t competent. Now that Grandmother coaxed him a bit, he was delighted, as if he had received some great favor. Every day, he says that my mother sacrificed for the sake of the Xu family’s reputation and that I shouldn’t lead a dissolute life anymore. The honor of the Xu family rests on me…”

Xu Chun was speechless.

Madam Sheng wore a cold smile on her face but didn’t say anything more in front of Xu Chun. She merely said, “We consoled her since she was already like that. We didn’t need the title anyway. She scolded us, saying that the glory passed down from our ancestors couldn’t be lost in our generation. Since the emperor’s edict mentioned sparing the faces of the descendants and was a secret edict, it meant there was still some consideration for Jingguo Gongfu. As the main culprit, she herself died, so the Ministry of Rites wouldn’t dare to publicize it. This way, our descendants would have room for recovery. Many noble families and powerful clans are like this.”

“Later, she called Guge and Madam Dai in separately. Presumably, she gave each of them some personal belongings and left them messages. Afterward, she dismissed us all. Not long after, Madam Dai and I went in, and she had already taken the medicine. She also told me to send the maids and matrons from her room to the estate. But from the announcement of the edict onward, all the servants were sent away. Only the Old Lady, Madam Dai, me, your father, and Xu Guge heard the edict. Therefore, you don’t have to worry too much. The Han family and the Bai family must have handled it similarly.”

Xu Chun remained silent. Madam Sheng comforted him a few more times, but Xu Chun didn’t say much. He only thought about Su Hua personally came to announce the secret edict. So it seemed that Manager Su was eunuch Su. Wu Fu and Liu Shun, I had wondered why they weren’t very young yet still looked like boys, and they were extremely well-disciplined and did not dare to say a word more than necessary. Now it seemed that since eunuch Su personally brought them and they served daily, they were likely two little eunuchs.

After returning to the mansion, he pondered over this repeatedly. He thought that perhaps He Zhiqiu, who had handled this matter, knew the details as well. But if he asked him, he would inevitably have to tell Ninth Brother.

Ninth Brother did this for me, and Grandmother’s choice to commit suicide wasn’t his fault. But when he bid farewell to me that day, his expression was displeased. He must have been uncomfortable inside.

Since it was all handled under a secret edict, if he knew I was still investigating, he would certainly blame me.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.

The next morning, he went to the printing shop early and asked Manager Luo and Qing Qian about the printing situation. Looking at the words of Chufeng Hall, his nose tingled with emotion. Touching those out-of-print books, his chest felt slightly choked up.

Manager Luo laughed. “Scholar He’s poetry collection and Zhang Tanhua’s anthology are easy to typeset. They’re all done. Only Fan Tanhua’s Wen Dinggong’s anthology is really extensive. Even Fan Tanhua himself has to repeatedly verify and supplement it. So far, only one poetry collection has been typeset.”

Manager Luo marveled, “Just this poetry collection alone, even if we printed it for free, it would be worth it! Young Master might not know, but later I inquired and learned that this Wen Dinggong, whose given name is Fan Qingju, is the current emperor’s tutor. He’s the emperor’s teacher! In his poetry collection, there are many poems that include exchanges with others and collaborative poetry with students. There might even be the emperor’s imperial poems in there! Unfortunately, what was sent over were only transcribed copies. Otherwise, we might have had the opportunity to see the emperor’s imperial handwriting.”

Xu Chun murmured, “The emperor’s teacher? I seem to remember that Tanhua Fan’s sister is a palace lady…” She’s the deposed empress… Because of her insistence on deposing Empress Yuan, which caused a huge uproar, everyone knew about it. Xu Chun suddenly remembered how he had mentioned this royal scandal in front of Ninth Brother, even saying that the current emperor was heartless…”

His ears turned hot with shame. Qing Qian added, “That’s right. This Mr. Fan isn’t only the emperor’s teacher. The current empress dowager is this Mr. Fan’s younger sister. Therefore, he’s not only the emperor’s maternal uncle but was also supposed to be the emperor’s father-in-law. But later, he was determined to depose the empress. Just a few days ago, I heard that the deposed empress disrespected and disobeyed the empress dowager while serving her in the imperial temple. She was demoted to commoner status. Calculating it, she should be Tanhua Fan’s older sister.”

Xu Chun asked Qing Qian in surprise, “How do you know this?”

Qing Qian smiled. “Young Master opened this Qianqiu Workshop and this teahouse, so you naturally get a lot of information. I hear news every day. Didn’t you listen carefully before when you were here? I thought that since Young Master interacts with these distinguished people like the top three scholars, knowing more information would never be a bad thing. I instructed the waiters every day to write down whatever news they heard and give it to me. I copy it and categorize it, waiting for Young Master to read it when you have time. You can’t go around prying into the scholars’ sad stories at inappropriate times.”

Qing Qian whispered, “I heard those scholars discussing it. They said that Empress Dowager is also Empress Jingfei’s aunt. Even if there were any lapses in service, why would she be demoted to commoner status? This is most likely still the emperor’s intention. They also said that the current emperor is wise and has never been one to kill indiscriminately. How could he be so heartless toward Empress Yuan alone? Perhaps that empress always had some faults. Moreover, there have been vague rumors that the empress dowager and the emperor have some discord. Palace secrets spread the fastest.”

Xu Chun began to understand. The venomous snake that appeared suddenly on that winter night, Ninth Brother’s gloomy and melancholy expression, the expression he showed when he said he wasn’t loved by his birth mother, his frosty and indifferent brows always shrouded in melancholy.

He said that his uncle’s learning was excellent, encompassing miscellaneous studies, teaching him calligraphy and the Five Classics and Four Histories, but his expression was extremely wistful and desolate.

Wen Dinggong… Uncle Fan.

Xu Chun’s mind was suddenly filled with complicated thoughts and distractions. He could only instruct them, “You two go down first. Let me be alone.” After a while, he said, “Bring me that Mr. Fan’s poetry collection to look at.”

Qing Qian went out and soon came back carrying it. Concerned, she asked Xu Chun, “Prince, your complexion isn’t too good. You’re currently in mourning. It’s been hard to come out of the period of abstaining from meat. You should eat some meat, or you won’t have enough vitality. Why don’t I have someone make you a bowl of egg custard?”

Xu Chun responded absentmindedly, dismissing everyone and sitting alone in the private room.

At noon, the building and courtyard were quiet, the bamboo leaves swaying gently, and the flower shadows tilting slightly. Outside the window, Spring Clear Lake was still calm like a mirror, with green willows like smoke. Ninth Brother’s appearance when he explained the “Double Screen Chess Playing Picture” to him was still vivid in his memory.

Back then, he had already seen the precarious situation he faced in his splendid Gongfu, so he patiently taught and guided him.

“The Auspicious Cranes Painting” had always been hidden in the palace. For the sake of his humiliation, Ninth Brother fetched it overnight and personally wiped away his tears.

Xu Chun couldn’t help touching the armlet on his left arm. The warm gold pressed against his arm, as if Ninth Brother was embracing him.

Suddenly, he felt agitated and picked up the poetry collection on the table, flipping through it randomly. Two words caught his eye, and he froze. He hurriedly flipped to that page and looked closely. It read:

In the winter of the seventh year of the Yuanhui era, Mingyi and Dongye had a poetic exchange in the study. Mingyi composed the line, “Life and death come without ties,” and Dongye responded with, “Fame and fortune are irrelevant.” Oh, how could two young boys speak such words of old age! I secretly recorded it.

Xu Chun stared at the words “Mingyi.” Mingyi flies, lowering its wings. The current emperor’s given name is “Yi,” precisely the meaning of taking flight. The late emperor granted “Mingyi” as his courtesy name, ordering him to fold his wings. Because the empress dowager and the regent prince were both present, he ascended the throne as a child and was controlled by others. Naturally, he could only hide his brilliance and bear his wings, waiting for the day of flight. Yuanhui is the era name. The seventh year, that would mean he was seven years old. At just seven years old, he was already speaking lightly of life and death.

Who else besides the emperor’s teacher would dare to write the word bestowed by the late emperor?

Ninth Brother…had never deliberately concealed his identity. Nine is the highest number, the supreme ruler.

Amidst all the speculations from last night to today, he finally confirmed the truth at this moment, but it was as if he saw Ninth Brother’s clear black and white eyes, quietly looking at him.

When Ninth Brother first met him, he said, “I’ve never needed anyone to like me.” But on that rainy night, Ninth Brother asked him, “You don’t want to?”

He tempted that self-disciplined gentleman, that autocratic emperor, and dared to answer him, “Ninth Brother, you soar high as a swan to the ninth heaven, while I swim freely in the rivers and seas. I and Ninth Brother can entrust our lives with each other, or we can forget each other in the rivers and lakes.”