Chapter 715: Whether Heir or Bastard, and the Change in Lu Long [Thank You

In the afternoon,

east of the imperial city,

at the entrance of the Chai household,

"Tatata."

Amid the clatter of iron-shod hooves, a man and horse halted before the empty courtyard.

Seeing the visitor, the Chai household's gatekeeper hurried forward with a smile and took the horse's reins.

Behind him, the steward also stepped forward, bowing with a smile: "Young master has arrived—please come inside."

Inside the courtyard,

they reached the main hall of the front yard,

"Young master, please sit. Someone has already been sent to notify the inner quarters—they'll come shortly."

"No need, sir. I'll stand. Thank you for your trouble," the visitor bowed.

"That won't do!" The gatekeeper looked uneasy and waved to a maid standing nearby: "Go, bring a brocade stool."

"Yes, steward."

The maid responded, then went behind the screen and brought a brocade stool, placing it beside the visitor.

"Young master, please sit!"

"Thank you, steward! Please attend to your duties—I'm quite comfortable standing."

"Very well. Young master, wait a moment."

The Chai household gatekeeper bowed and left the hall.

Yet the visitor in the hall remained standing, eyes lowered to the ground, not sitting.

After half a stick of incense had burned,

footsteps sounded from behind the screen facing the hall's entrance.

Moments later, a well-dressed maid emerged from behind the screen, hands folded before her abdomen, smiling.

"Young master has arrived—why are you standing? Please sit!"

"Greetings, Yunmu," Buwei smiled and bowed, then added: "I'll sit, thank you, but no."

Yunmu smiled and shook her head, gesturing with her hand: "Young master, you're a trusted man of Lord Qi's—how can you not sit?"

As she spoke, Yunmu took a few more steps forward.

Seeing her manner, Buwei nodded and smiled: "Thank you, sister, for your kindness—I'm used to standing."

Hearing this, Yunmu gave a resigned nod.

Buwei glanced around, then lowered his voice: "Lord sent me to report that today, the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family is wearing that hundred-knot cord on his wrist."

A smile spread across Yunmu's face: "Good! Today's thanks go to Lord Qi and to you, Young Master Buwei."

As she spoke, Yunmu pulled a sachet from her sleeve.

Seeing Buwei about to speak in refusal, Yunmu added: "You won't sit, and now you won't take this? That's too formal."

Buwei looked slightly embarrassed: "Then… I humbly accept your gift."

Yunmu smiled: "That's better!"

Buwei took the sachet, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then said: "Lord is waiting for my report—I must take my leave. Sister, don't see me out."

Yunmu nodded: "Mm. Young master, go slowly."

As they walked out of the hall together,

Yunmu watched Buwei head toward the main gate, then spotted a woman dressed as a steward hurrying toward them.

Qiusheng Courtyard,

Chai Zhengzheng frowned at Yunmu: "Hastily?"

"Yes, Miss," Yunmu said.

Zi Teng, standing nearby, said: "Could one of our shops have run into trouble?"

Chai Zhengzheng's eyes darted, then she rose: "Come, let's go see Mother."

Leaving the moon gate with her maids, crossing the covered walkway, they arrived at Lady Chai's courtyard,

Seeing the stern stewardess standing at the courtyard gate, Chai Zhengzheng halted and said: "Please inform Lady Chai I've come."

The stern stewardess bowed: "Miss, please wait." Then turned and entered the courtyard.

After a while,

the stewardess gestured inward: "Miss, Lady Chai invites you in."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded, then glanced at Yunmu and the other three maids behind her.

Yunmu and the others understood, stepping aside to stand beside the stewardess—meaning they would not enter.

Seeing this, Chai Zhengzheng stepped into the courtyard.

Entering the room,

Chai Zhengzheng saw the stewardess her maid had called "hastily."

"Mother, what's happened today?"

Lady Chai waved Chai Zhengzheng over: "Come sit first."

Then she turned to the stewardess: "Do not spread this news until the court has made it official."

"Yes, Lady."

"Go."

Watching the Chai household stewardess leave the room, Chai Zhengzheng's curiosity deepened.

Lady Chai stared at empty space, blinked slowly, took a deep breath, her eyes filled with deliberation.

Chai Zhengzheng did not interrupt her mother's thoughts, waiting quietly beside her.

Seeing her mother's solemn expression, Chai Zhengzheng felt a knot form in her chest.

'Could it be about Fifth Brother Xu?'

'Could his marriage be in the wind?'

'Who could it be?'

Before Chai Zhengzheng could drift deeper into speculation,

"Cough."

Lady Chai cleared her throat.

"Mother?"

Lady Chai smiled at Chai Zhengzheng: "It has nothing to do with the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family."

Chai Zhengzheng's eyes brightened: "Oh."

Meeting her mother's gaze, she lowered her head and added: "Even if it did concern him, it has nothing to do with me."

Lady Chai gave a light laugh, curling her lip: "It's about our business in Northern Liao—they've sent word."

Chai Zhengzheng snapped her head up: "Northern Liao?"

Lady Chai nodded slowly: "I've already sent word to your father. By rights, the court should have learned of this two days before us."

Before Chai Zhengzheng could ask, Lady Chai continued: "A few days ago, the Zhao family of Lu Long in eastern Northern Liao clashed violently with Mongol tribes aiding Northern Liao—many dead."

Chai Zhengzheng gasped: "Ah? The Zhao family of Lu Long and the Mongol tribes?"

Lady Chai nodded firmly.

Chai Zhengzheng thought aloud: "The Zhao family of Lu Long… weren't there some of their young men among the Northern Liao envoys who came to the capital?"

"I remember—they were excellent at polo, though not as good as Fifth Brother Xu."

Seeing her mother's gaze, Chai Zhengzheng quickly added: "Mother! The Zhao family of Lu Long in Northern Liao holds equal standing with our court's Duke Zhang of Yingguo, Marquis Cao of Tuoxi, and Marquis Gu of Ningyuan."

She shook her head, puzzled: "But why would they clash violently with the Mongol tribes?"

Lady Chai said: "Zheng'er, I share your confusion."

"By the way, did Buwei, the servant of Yuanruo, come to our house this afternoon?" Lady Chai changed the subject. "Did he wear the hundred-knot cord?"

Chai Zhengzheng bit her lip, eyes darting, then nodded: "Mm."

"Good."

Quyuan Street,

Yongyi Marquis House,

Main Lady's Courtyard,

"The palace received urgent news last night; by noon today, they informed Cao's son and us," Zai Zhang said beside him.

Xu Zaijing sat on his chair, nodding slowly with a serious face, also puzzled: "The Mongol tribes and the Zhao family of Lu Long—no one heard of any feud. Why would they clash violently?"

Sun Shi adjusted her swollen belly and shook her head: "There must be a reason. The court still needs time to determine if this is a self-inflicted ruse—we must wait for more news."

Xu Zaijing and his brother exchanged glances, then nodded together.

"You two have already eaten outside—have a light meal later and return to your own courtyards," Sun Shi added.

After dinner,

Xu Zaijing returned to his courtyard,

Qingcao and the other three maids, who had practiced sword dancing for two days, now looked listless.

When they saw Xu Zaijing return, their bows were quieter than usual.

As he undressed, Xu Zaijing glanced at the maid beside him and smiled: "Qingcao, you seem in better spirits today."

Qingcao wrinkled her nose at Xu Zaijing, hugged his coat, and turned, walking swiftly out the door.

Xu Zaijing looked at Yun Xiang on the other side and asked, "What's wrong with Qingcao today?"

Yun Xiang and her sister exchanged a smile and said, "Young Master, Qingcao-sister received a letter from home today."

"Oh? What did it say?" Xu Zaijing asked, intrigued.

"It says Qingcao-sister's younger brother is about to be betrothed," Yun Xiang smiled. "The girl's from a family of juren."

Xu Zaijing blinked. "How old is Qingcao's younger brother this year?"

"Young Master," Hua Xiang said, "Qingcao-sister said he's fourteen this year."

Xu Zaijing nodded softly. "Time flies—Qingcao's been in the household nearly a decade. A juren family? Not bad."

After washing his hands and face, Xu Zaijing took the towel Yun Xiang offered and wiped his face.

Suddenly, Xu Zaijing paused. "Is this juren girl the legitimate daughter or a concubine's child?"

Yun Xiang shook her head. "Young Master, I don't know—the letter didn't say."

"Hmm."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

The next day,

at dawn,

since it was early May,

when Xu Zaijing rose to train, the night sky held no moon—only stars.

The hour was still early,

and the Xu household was silent, save for the occasional chirp of unknown summer insects.

"Click."

"Rattle."

The gatekeeper's old woman unlocked the copper lock on the wooden gate to the outer courtyard.

Dressed in a thin cloak, Xu Zaijing stepped out of the courtyard with Qingcao, who carried a lantern, heading toward the riding ground.

Sensing Qingcao's glances, Xu Zaijing turned his head as they walked. "What is it? Speak up."

Qingcao bit her lip, glanced at him again, and said, "Young Master, I—I want to..."

"Want to open the storage and send something back home?" Xu Zaijing finished for her.

"Yes!"

Qingcao nodded.

Xu Zaijing met her gaze and nodded. "Fine. Afternoon, go pick what you need yourself."

"Thank you, Young Master," Qingcao smiled.

"Hmph! You change your mood fast." Xu Zaijing turned away and strode forward.

"Young Master, wait! I—I'm not angry with you anymore!"

"Hm?" Xu Zaijing stopped and frowned back at her.

Qingcao hurried to correct herself. "Er—I spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have sulked at you. It's all my fault!"

"That's better."

Saying that, Xu Zaijing turned and continued toward the riding ground.

Jiyin Alley,

the Sheng household,

Chang Bai, who usually sat behind his desk at this hour, now stood at the entrance to the study courtyard, glancing anxiously toward the main gate.

Beside him paced a man with his hands clasped behind his back—Gu Tingye.

"I say, Er Lang, you came so early—is the news true?" Chang Bai asked.

Gu Tingye peered toward the gate. "Chang Bai, how could palace rumors be false? Jingge is here!"

Chang Bai turned sharply.

Seeing Xu Zaijing dismount, both men hurried forward.

"Jingge, didn't your brother come with you?" Chang Bai asked.

"My elder brother left a bit later—he should arrive soon," Xu Zaijing said.

As Xu Zaijing spoke, Qingcao stepped down from the carriage and bowed to Chang Bai and Gu Tingye.

"Oh! Jingge, Er Lang said—" As Chang Bai finished speaking,

Xu Zaijing nodded. "I've heard already. Let's walk and talk."

Inside the study hall,

their servants had retreated to the rear.

Xu Zaijing first asked Gu Tingye several questions about Marquis Gu Yan Kai.

Gu Tingye looked at Xu Zaijing. "Jingge, though my father often serves in the north and understands the Northern Liao situation, he never mentioned any feud or hidden grudge between the two sides."

"But as sons of noble families like ours, even if there's enmity, unless it's blood-deep hatred, it rarely escalates to massive casualties."

Xu Zaijing and Chang Bai exchanged glances. "Er Lang speaks sense."

After a moment of silence, Xu Zaijing added uncertainly, "Could it be that the Zhao family of Lu Long offended some sacred taboo of the Mongol tribes, sparking the clash?"

Chang Bai thought a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Gu Tingye said, "Jingge, you might be right—perhaps that's exactly it!"

Although Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye were both legitimate sons of marquis families, their elders were not in the capital, so their knowledge came only from fleeting whispers from palace messengers.

Even Cao Yi and He Guan, who delivered the messages to both families, likely didn't fully understand the situation.

Only if the Emperor summoned them personally and explained face-to-face could they truly know.

After a while,

Qi Heng entered the study hall with Bu Wei.

Seeing the three pairs of eyes upon him, Qi Heng blinked. "Uncle, brothers—you already know?"

Gu Tingye nodded eagerly. "Yuanruo, do you know why the Zhao family of Lu Long clashed with the Mongol tribes?"

Qi Heng shook his head. "Uncle, I thought you knew!"

Northeast of Bianjing,

over fifteen hundred li from the capital, out at sea,

several warships spread their sails wide,

sailing in a single line across the waves.

On the thick mast of the central vessel,

"Whoosh."

a large banner bearing the character "Zhou" snapped in the wind.

Beneath it flew a smaller banner embroidered with the characters "Hu Yan."

Below the mast sat a chair bolted to the cabin roof, where a naval commander clad in armor rested.

"Swoosh!"

"Boom!"

From the lookout mast of the lead ship, a firework erupted into the sky.

Hearing the sound, the commander rose from his chair.

"Swoosh!"

"Boom!"

Another cannon blast.

The commander stood and barked, "Beat the drums!"

"Dong dong dong!"

The war drum beside his chair was struck.

The naval troops aboard the ships moved with disciplined efficiency.

Sharp, spear-like crossbow bolts, each bound with thick firecrackers, were loaded onto the eight-ox crossbows; a long fuse extended from the firecracker toward the arrowhead.

Two hours later,

on the Hu Yan-flagged warship, naval troops were removing crossbow bolts embedded in the hull.

On distant Zhou warships, stripped enemy corpses were being tossed into the sea.

Nearby, two burning Liao warships slowly sank, flames erupting precisely where the heavy crossbow bolts had pierced them.

Surprisingly, one Liao warship, flying a white flag, remained encircled in the center of the Zhou fleet.

On this surrendered Liao vessel, a well-armored junior officer stood in disarray—his helmet gone, his forehead hair tangled and wild.

His subordinates, too, were pale-lipped and wounded; from the cabin behind, over a dozen women and children emerged.

Facing the Zhou naval commander, the armored Liao officer knelt on deck and bowed. "Criminal junior officer Zhao Wei, with my family, present myself before you, my lord."

Hu Yan's father, Hu Yanhai, Anmei's father-in-law, waved to a subordinate.

Soon,

naval troops boarded the vessel and took control of the group.

After a while longer,

Zhao Weigan, stripped of armor and bound tightly, was dragged by four naval troops before Hu Yanhai.

After a few questions of interrogation,

Hearing Zhao Wei's reply, Hu Yanhai's eyes sharply narrowed.

(End of chapter)