Chapter 124: Hard to Meet an Old Friend (Part I)

Chuxiu cautiously tested the waters once more, hoping the Prince of Mu would spare Shen Yu and Yun Xiangrong. Unexpectedly, he merely smiled and replied, “Although Shen Yu is the Yun family’s son-in-law, I hear that he and the eldest Miss Yun are not on particularly good terms. Madam, what do you say to this? I shall personally advise the two of them to divorce, and the eldest Miss Yun may then remarry. That way, the life or death of the Wenchang Marquis Estate will have nothing to do with your Yun family.”

He had no intention of sparing Shen Yu!

Chuxiu’s expression darkened at once, though the severity lent her face another kind of beauty. She pressed her lips together and pondered for a moment before asking again, “Can you not spare the young marquis for the sake of the Yun family?”

“Madam, do you know what it means to release a tiger into the mountains? If I let him go today, how am I to know whether he will return one day to settle the score?” The Prince of Mu remained unmoved.

“How could he? Young Marquis Shen is not the sort of man who schemes for power!” Chuxiu hurriedly spoke on Shen Yu’s behalf. “He was once nothing more than a pleasure-loving young nobleman. Later, he took up residence in Fuzhou and never involved himself in affairs of state. The Wenchang Marquis Estate’s decisions have nothing to do with him! If he had wished to enter public service, he would not have declined several years ago when His Majesty took him as an adopted son.”

“I naturally know that Shen Yu is not one to grasp for power. But he is a man of ardent blood. His father, Shen Cong, was my adversary, and his elder brother, Shen Zan, secretly aided the Fourth Prince on more than one occasion. Shen Yu may be spared, but Shen Zan cannot. If he should one day seek revenge for his father and brother, would I not be bringing trouble upon myself?” The Prince of Mu’s attitude appeared utterly resolute.

Chuxiu was truly growing desperate. Seeing that even the smile had vanished from the prince’s face, she hurriedly urged him once more. “Your Highness! Where mercy can be shown, show it! The young marquis is His Majesty’s adopted son, and thus half a brother to you. Now that Prince Fu is dead, if you execute the young marquis as well, the world will say that you care nothing for brotherly affection!”

The moment the words left her mouth, Chuxiu regretted them. She had spoken too bluntly, too sharply! Knowing perfectly well what sort of man the Prince of Mu was, why had she said such a thing?

Before he could react, she hastily explained, “I spoke out of turn. I beg your pardon. I meant no malice by my words...”

She had expected the Prince of Mu to erupt in fury. Instead, he threw back his head and laughed. “To see Madam lose both her tongue and her composure has brought me considerable joy.”

Chuxiu stared at him, unable to understand what he meant.

“A moment ago, I was merely testing you, to see how determined you truly were to save Shen Yu. Now I see that Madam is a woman who repays kindness and places great value on loyalty and affection.” That was the Prince of Mu’s judgment of her.

Chuxiu found herself even more bewildered. She knew that the prince’s moods changed like the weather, but what could he mean by being angry one moment and laughing the next?

She could only reply, “I am naturally one who repays kindness. I have never dared forget the favor you did me more than four years ago.”

She considered those words perfectly sincere.

The Prince of Mu studied her face for a moment, then smiled with a hint of enchantment. “Nor do I regret saving Madam in those days.”

With both hands clasped behind his back, he took two steps. Seeing Chuxiu sitting rigidly in her chair, scarcely daring to move, he continued, “Madam values affection and loyalty, and I am not a cold-hearted man either. Since Shen Yu is the Yun family’s son-in-law, I shall spare his life. But the title of Wenchang Marquis will certainly be stripped from him.”

He had changed his mind so quickly again. What, exactly, was the Prince of Mu thinking? Or could it be...

While Chuxiu was still astonished by the change in his attitude, he was already smiling as he said, “I had intended to spare him from the beginning. Forgive me for testing you at such length.”

So it truly had been a test...

At this point, so long as Shen Yu’s life could be preserved, how could Chuxiu care that the Prince of Mu had toyed with her? She hurriedly said, “Thank you for your mercy!”

The Prince of Mu waved a hand. “It was not only you. My ninth brother also spoke on his behalf. Jingduo and Shen Yu are of the same age and have been drinking companions for many years.” Jingduo was the courtesy name of the Ninth Prince, Nie Peixiao.

After a pause, the Prince of Mu continued, “However, although I can spare Shen Yu, his elder brother Shen Zan is certain to die.”

Whether he had acted for her sake or someone else’s, Chuxiu had achieved what she wished by saving Shen Yu. How could she ask him to spare Shen Zan as well?

From now on, Shen Yu would no longer have the support of a noble family. He would fall to the rank of an ordinary commoner and would probably have to live under the protection of the name “the Yun family’s son-in-law.”

But so long as he lived, there was still hope.

Chuxiu’s eyes grew hot. She did not know whether to laugh or cry, but she forcibly held back her emotion and said to the Prince of Mu, “I shall remember this favor for the rest of my life. Should the Prince of Mu’s residence ever have need of me, I will not hesitate to serve.”

“‘I will not hesitate to serve’? It seems the young marquis is very important to Madam.” The Prince of Mu’s smile was half mocking, half amused, and his words carried a deeper meaning.

Chuxiu knew that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make. Helplessly, she replied, “Why ask when you already know the answer? How could the nature of my friendship with the young marquis escape your notice?” Otherwise, why would she have risked herself to save him?

The Prince of Mu smiled without answering. Suddenly, he changed the subject. “Madam is only nineteen. Do you truly intend to remain a widow for the rest of your life?”

At the mention of this, Chuxiu’s expression became solemn. “My mind is made up. I shall remain faithful to my late husband for the rest of my life.”

The Prince of Mu sighed. “Your resolve is admirable.”

He fell silent for a moment, as though weighing his next words. At length, he said, “In truth, Shen Yu is not worthy of you.”

At this, Chuxiu opened her mouth, but her throat felt dry. She drew a deep breath and smiled. “You think too much of it. The young marquis is now... my younger sister’s husband.”

The Prince of Mu said nothing more. A trace of regret appeared on his face. His tall, handsome figure seemed exceedingly lonely, and even the black brocade of his robes appeared weighed down by gloom. He looked as though some old regret had been stirred within him.

Seeing his expression, Chuxiu did not dare ask further. The matters concerning Yun Xiangrong and Shen Yu had been settled, and she had no reason to remain. “Does Your Highness have any other instructions?” If not, she intended to return home.

Unexpectedly, the Prince of Mu narrowed his phoenix eyes and looked at her again. His handsome, almost androgynous face wore the expression of a man watching a play. “There is indeed one more matter. Jingduo has arrived in Yanlan City today. I shall hold a night banquet in his honor. By rights, I ought to invite Madam to attend.”

The Ninth Prince had come to Yanlan City?

That made sense. The outcome of the great struggle had already been decided. It was only a matter of time before the Prince of Mu, when he pleased, went to the capital of Jingzhou to ascend the throne. For the Ninth Prince to visit his fief was now entirely aboveboard.

Chuxiu suddenly remembered the song “Broken Vermilion Strings.” At the time, she had been moved by the Ninth Prince’s appreciation of her music and had even imagined meeting him someday, while she was still alive, to play a song for him.

But now she was the Yun family’s matriarch, as well as a widow. Certain actions were no longer appropriate.

With that thought, Chuxiu smiled and declined. “You jest. I am a widow and should not appear in public...”

“Are you afraid he will recognize you because of ‘Broken Vermilion Strings’?” The Prince of Mu curved his lips as he explained. “You need not worry. I asked Jingduo about it afterward. When Han Chu first performed under her stage name, he was inside a private room. He heard her zither but never saw her. Even if he caught sight of her, he likely saw no more than a vague silhouette. After so many years, he will have long forgotten what Han Chu looked like.”

Chuxiu shook her head and replied helplessly, “The Prince of Cheng has come here in order to discuss important matters with you. You two brothers are close, and have not seen each other in a long while. Naturally, you must have countless things to say to one another. It should be a family feast, and my presence would only be superfluous. Besides, I have little tolerance for wine, and as a widow, it truly would not be proper...”

Seeing how stubborn she was, the Prince of Mu did not press her further. In any case, he had invited her merely as courtesy required. “Very well. I shall not force you.”

The instant the words “not force you” fell, before Chuxiu could say anything, the steward of the prince’s residence announced himself from outside.

“Come in.”

As the steward entered, the Prince of Mu asked first, “Has he arrived?”

The steward nodded. “The Prince of Cheng will reach the gates of the residence at any moment.”

The Prince of Mu immediately brightened. “I shall go out to welcome him personally!”

Clearly, the two princes were indeed deeply attached as brothers. Now that the Ninth Prince, Nie Peixiao, had arrived, Chuxiu was even less willing to remain. To avoid suspicion, she took her leave. “Then I shall withdraw as well.”

“I shall see Madam out.”

The black-robed prince and the white-clad woman, each possessed of an extraordinary bearing, walked through the Prince of Mu’s residence together, presenting a striking sight. One was eager to depart and avoid suspicion; the other was eager to welcome his brother. Both moved with hurried steps.

When they reached the gates of the residence, the street outside was still empty. The Ninth Prince had yet to arrive. Chuxiu had Zhuying bring the carriage to the entrance, then offered the Prince of Mu one last gracious smile. “I shall take my leave.”

With that, she turned elegantly and lifted her skirts to step into the carriage.

At that moment, a sudden burst of hoofbeats rang out along the street before the residence. The sharp, hurried clatter revealed the approach of a fine horse.

Chuxiu followed the sound with her eyes and saw, in the distance, the figure of a man riding toward them. His bearing was carefree, his purple robes bright against the spirited horse beneath him, and he looked brimming with confidence.

Then more than a dozen fine horses appeared along the street, following far behind him and filling the entire avenue with bustle. Chuxiu guessed that the rider in front was the Ninth Prince, Nie Peixiao. But the distance was too great for her to make out his features. After only a hurried glance, she turned and entered the carriage, which then set off toward the Yun residence.

A short while later, the Ninth Prince, Nie Peixiao, galloped up to the gates of the Prince of Mu’s residence. He reined in his horse and leaped lightly from the saddle, his spirits high and his excitement impossible to conceal.

“Seventh Brother!”

“Jingduo.” Nie Peihan addressed his ninth brother by his courtesy name, then glanced at the guards and servants who had followed him and smiled. “Why did you not take a carriage?”

Nie Peixiao waved impatiently. “It is too slow. Those of us who travel prefer horses. Only young ladies enjoy riding in carriages!”

He cast another glance at the gold-topped carriage rumbling away in the distance and asked casually, “Were you seeing off a guest, Seventh Brother? She looked like a very charming one.”

From horseback, he had just seen a woman in white gracefully enter the carriage. The distance had been too great, and the jolting of his horse too rough; all he had glimpsed was a blurred profile. Yet even that profile had appeared exceptionally beautiful.

“Do not speak nonsense. She is Madam Chuxiu of the Lixin Marquis Estate.” The Prince of Mu smiled as he explained, a meaningful glint passing through his phoenix eyes.

Nie Peixiao merely raised a disdainful brow as he watched the carriage recede toward the Yun residence. “So she is the richest widow in the world.”

Hearing the contempt in his voice, the Prince of Mu asked curiously, “Do you have some objection to Madam Chuxiu?”

“There are plenty of rumors about her.” Nie Peixiao spoke teasingly. “That woman is practically a legend. She rose to power through an unborn child and even managed to make Grand Lady Xie obey her every word.”

In truth, Nie Peixiao had another reason to resent this Madam Chuxiu. He had sincerely sought to marry Yun Xiangrong, only to be rejected. Later, when he heard that Shen Yu and Madam Chuxiu were closely acquainted, he became convinced that the widow had been behind his rejection.

Thinking of the exquisite zither music he had once heard outside the walls of the Lixin Marquis Estate, Nie Peixiao could not help feeling disappointed. He had originally believed he might find a woman who shared his tastes and whose zither and flute would harmonize perfectly with his own.

Moreover, he had heard that Shen Yu himself had been unwilling to marry Yun Xiangrong.

Yet the Yun family had forced Shen Yu to marry her, and Shen Yu was his close friend...

The more Nie Peixiao thought about it, the more dissatisfied he became with Chuxiu. “I sincerely sought the hand of the Yun family’s eldest daughter, only to be suspected of harboring ulterior motives. That widow must have been behind it.”

He gave a cold snort. “Every widow in the Yun family seems to have something wrong with her head. Grand Lady Xie makes things difficult for my mother, and Madam Chuxiu makes things difficult for me. I wonder whether we were enemies in a former life.”