Chapter Forty-Six: News of a Sudden Upheaval in the Eastern Palace Reaches Afar

Passing through the side door, they entered a room laid out exactly like the others in the wing, only it was empty of all life. Bai Hua walked to the inner side of the bed against the north wall, reached out, and felt along the surface; to Xu You’s astonishment, a hidden door sprang open in the wall.

Looking inside, Xu You saw a narrow passage barely wide enough for one person, running in the middle between the front and rear sets of rooms. It was black as ink, with no end in sight, and no one could tell where it led. To those who did not know, the two rows of rooms would seem pressed tightly together, and no one would guess that within them lay an entirely different world.

"What are you standing there for? Come on!"

Bai Hua beckoned for Xu You to follow her inside. Xu You gave a wry smile. "If this is a secret chamber, I should probably keep my distance to avoid any impropriety..."

"No need. Many people in the residence know about it. It was made secluded, not to keep people out!"

Just as Bai Hua came over to take Xu You by the hand, a person emerged from the dark passage. It was Qian Qin coming out from within. Seeing Xu You standing there, she was startled at once; then, when she saw Bai Hua holding Xu You’s hand, anger rose between her brows.

"What are you doing?"

Bai Hua laughed. "Young Master Xu had something to ask you, so I brought him here."

"Nonsense!" Qian Qin shut the hidden door behind her and walked wordlessly toward the main hall.

Bai Hua stuck out her tongue and pulled Xu You along after her. "Sister, where are you going? Young Master Xu has a friend in Jinling. For years now there has been no news of him..."

Before she could finish, Qian Qin spun around sharply. "Do you even know what situation we’re in right now? The master of the house has gone missing. Enemies are watching us like wolves. Madam has not slept properly for nearly three days. Everyone else is working themselves to the bone, and you? What are you doing all day?"

Bai Hua shrugged, not taking it in the least to heart. "I’m giving everyone a little encouragement with some laughter..."

Qian Qin rolled her eyes. She truly had no way with this girl. After turning to walk a few steps, she looked back at Xu You and said, "Young Master Xu, Bai Hua is young and ignorant, and it’s only natural that she likes to cause trouble. But you are a renowned figure in Jiangdong—why lower yourself to play such petty games with a little girl? If you have anything in the future, please speak to Madam directly. We are merely lowly maids, and do not dare burden the young master with questions."

Xu You had been caught up in an utterly unwarranted crossfire, and he smiled. "Many thanks for your guidance, Miss. But you are wrong about one thing: Bai Hua and I are friends, and among friends there is the duty of mutual aid. If she wishes to help me, I will remember it with gratitude. Why would I need to resort to any petty schemes?"

He said lightly, "Perhaps Miss has never had a friend before, and so does not understand such a simple truth. Rest assured, I will not blame you."

"You!"

Qian Qin was so angry her brows shot up. "You are a grown man, and yet you lower yourself to argue with a little woman like me? Have you no dignity at all?"

"To look down on another woman when you are one yourself—that is quite a lack of dignity," Xu You said with a faint smile. "Qian Qin, let me teach you a line: women are no less than men, and they can hold up half the sky."

"Well said!"

A clear, bright voice rang out from the side door. Xu You turned and saw Zhan Wenjun. She wore a white crossed-collar dress patterned with rippling waves, at her waist a black leather belt fastened with plum-blossom clasps. Over the dress was a pale yellow silk vest. Her hair was not arranged in a bun; instead, like a man’s, it was combed back and secured with a plain hairpin. Her long legs, no longer etched so strikingly by battle dress as they had been last night, were quietly hidden beneath her skirts. She had lost a little of her martial vigor, but gained three parts of refined beauty.

"Women can hold up half the sky... Young Master Xu, I may not have broad learning, but following my maternal uncle I have heard many stories of Jiangdong’s gifted men. They are full of scholarship, books enough to fill carts and halls, all of them pillars of the realm today. Yet I do not think they could write lines like yours."

Xu You bowed. "Madam flatters me. I was only speaking offhand; it is neither polished nor rhythmic, and hardly worthy of being called poetry."

Zhan Wenjun had been out all day, yet she showed no sign of fatigue. Instead, she was bright and alert, her jade-like face clear as though just washed from water, without the slightest trace of dust or weariness. She smiled and did not pursue the topic. Instead, her gaze fell on Qian Qin.

"What did you quarrel about with Young Master Xu?"

Qian Qin explained the beginning and end of it, though she did not speak ill of Bai Hua. She only said, "The Boat Pavilion is an important place in the residence. Outsiders are not ordinarily permitted in and out. I was anxious for a moment and spoke discourteously. Please punish me, Madam."

Zhan Wenjun nodded. "Young Master Xu, this secret chamber was originally prepared as a refuge for emergencies. Later, after my maternal uncle met with misfortune, I moved the Boat Pavilion here. It is where we gather intelligence from north and south, and there had been strict orders forbidding casual entry and exit. Qian Qin did not mean to block you. I hope you will forgive her."

Xu You hurriedly said, "You are too kind. I did not know beforehand, and so I was somewhat abrupt. Madam, please be at ease: I will never reveal a word about this place."

The few of them left the side room and returned to the main hall, where host and guest took their seats.

Zhan Wenjun said, "Qian Qin, if he is a friend of Young Master He, then send word to Jinling and inquire carefully. I wonder what this friend’s name is, where he comes from, and what trade he follows?"

Xu You said, "No need. A friend I have not seen in many years need not be rushed. However, there is another matter I would trouble Madam with."

Zhan Wenjun knelt upon a cushion, both hands resting one atop the other on her thighs. The folds of her dress, pressed by her slender jade hands, gathered into a faintly visible inverted triangle. Her waist was straight and elegant, and the delicate swell before her chest made it impossible for one’s gaze not to wander.

"Please speak."

Xu You averted his eyes. Though his expression was one of appreciation, in this age it was easy to be misunderstood as lewd.

"Since Madam has agents in Jinling, may I ask whether anything important has recently happened at court?"

Zhan Wenjun did not question him further. Instead she said to Qian Qin, "You answer him."

Qian Qin frowned in thought for a moment. "Nothing important."

Xu You said nothing. He did not place much trust in Qian Qin’s judgment. The girl simply did not seem reliable, and it was hard to hear her answer without doubt.

Perhaps seeing his uncertainty, Zhan Wenjun spoke without hesitation. "Go back to the Boat Pavilion and sort through all the intelligence from recent days once more. Do not omit a single thing."

Qian Qin lowered her head. "Yes." Then she shot Xu You a quick, angry glare and turned away in a huff.

"Qian Qin was personally groomed by my maternal uncle. She is skilled at analyzing and organizing intelligence, often able to find the most valuable thread among countless tangled reports, and even connect clues that seem unrelated to uncover the truth hidden beneath. The reason the Guo and Zhan families have been able to reach this day in business is entirely due to such intelligence. It lets us know the prices of grain, oil, silk, cloth, paper, ink, and all the other necessities of life throughout the various regions. Only then can we buy low and sell high, and profit from the difference."

At once, Xu You looked at Qian Qin in a new light. Zhan Wenjun had no reason to embellish her virtues, so her words were entirely credible.

If that was true, then Qian Qin was a rare and highly capable talent. Many people could sort intelligence, but those born with a natural sensitivity to it were exceedingly rare.

As the saying goes, one white flaw can cover three defects. A talented person having some shortcomings in temperament was, to Xu You’s mind, entirely tolerable.

He stroked his chin, thinking whether he might find a way to recruit Qian Qin for his own use someday. Poor Zhan Wenjun sat there in the earnest spirit of cooperation, pouring out her heart and telling him everything she knew, never imagining that Xu You was already scheming to poach one of her own people.

"Oh, and the twenty literate people you asked for have already been found. They have been arranged in the secluded residence on Bright Jade Mountain. It is a remote place, with lovely scenery and very little foot traffic. I am certain you will like it."

Xu You nodded and did not ask whether those people were trustworthy. If she lacked even that much ability, she would hardly deserve the esteem that Guo Mian placed in her.

The two chatted idly for a while. Zhan Wenjun was generous in manner, almost manly in spirit, yet her appearance held a strong allure for Xu You. After a few exchanges, the conversation had the easy pleasure of talking with a confidante from a former life.

Qian Qin appeared again, but her face had turned somewhat grave. She leaned close to Zhan Wenjun and whispered a few words.

Xu You knew this was because of Qian Qin’s caution. The matter must be of great importance, and she did not know whether she ought to let him hear it, so she first reported it in Zhan Wenjun’s ear.

After Qian Qin withdrew, Zhan Wenjun’s expression remained calm. She said to Xu You, "We have just received word: the inner court has issued an imperial decree. From this day forward, the two Eastern Palace guard commands are to be abolished."

Xu You’s hands tightened, then slowly loosened. In his mind, thunder and lightning flashed as countless thoughts raced through him.

At last he understood why Sun Guan had raised the land-rent, grain, coin, and tax levies!