Chapter 283: Accepting One’s Fate

Chapter 283: Accepting One's Fate

At dawn, a red sun rose in the east.

Wearing short clothes, Qiao Hui held a heavy stone lock in one hand as he walked into the courtyard. A shadow swiftly approached him and handed him an envelope.

On the envelope, there was only one word: "Urgent."

The handwriting was neat and elegant, clearly that of Little Hai Xing, who remained untainted despite coming from a den of sea robbers.

Qiao Hui placed the stone lock on the ground and tore open the envelope with one hand. He read it quickly, his expression becoming more serious with each line. After finishing, he put the letter down and lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

Liu Shanhu, observing Qiao Hui's expression, signed, "Should we increase the number of people in Xuancheng?"

Qiao Hui tightened his lips and said, "Yes, send two of my men to Xuancheng."

Liu Shanhu raised his hand but hesitated before signing.

On that ship, there were 130 pirates. Qiao Hui had beheaded twenty of them, hanging their heads on the sails to establish order. Twenty pirates fought against the Japanese pirates and died at sea. Ten preferred to starve to death rather than lose their freedom when they heard they were to be conscripted. The remaining eighty pirates became the mute guards.

Eighty people—neither too many nor too few.

Their leader, now in a precarious situation, had encountered a group of bandits on a mission two days ago. Without a word, they drew their swords and attacked! Damn it! When did bandits learn about "spearhead formation" tactics!? They must have been former soldiers!

Out of the eighty, seventy were dispatched to support the Grand Princess in Xuancheng. Five were sent with Qiao family's head to the capital. The leader kept two by his side, two were assigned to Manager He, and the last one—Liu Shanhu—was serving a punishment for a mistake.

Now, if more people were to be added to Manager He's side, they would have to take from the leader's two mute guards.

If they took from the leader's side, only Liu Shanhu would remain by his side...

Scratching the back of his head, Liu Shanhu thought: There's no point in advising him. It's pointless anyway—

The person who had made numerous trips between Fujian and Xuancheng was this very leader in front of him, nearly exhausting himself and his horses.

The person who had left everything behind to return to Jing County and "check things out" was this leader.

The person who, when a Japanese pirate slashed his neck, leaving him half-conscious, reached under his pillow and grabbed the wooden mouse as if possessed was also this leader...

No point in advising, really.

Forget it, Liu Shanhu was ready to live and die alongside Qiao Hui.

He expressed his unwavering loyalty through firm hand gestures.

The leader, however, kept his head down, not looking at him at all.

"Brothers stationed at the Chen residence need only guard," Qiao Hui said, his side profile hiding all his worries within his calm brows—a composed demeanor unfamiliar to outsiders. "There is only one command that must not be obeyed by Manager He: if anyone harms Xianjin, eliminate whoever stands in the way. I will take full responsibility."

This applied not only to the Chen family but also to officials in Yingtian Prefecture.

As far as he knew, the Assistant Prefect of Yingtian, Cao Fucheng, had a long-standing grudge against Xianjin. If he took the opportunity to bully her, Qiao Hui wouldn't hesitate to kill an official of the court.

Moreover, he had already killed at least three officials.

Cao Fucheng, a mere fourth-grade official, was insignificant.

With a calm and steady gaze, Qiao Hui glanced over the last paragraph of the letter, his eyes narrowing—a calculation unfamiliar to outsiders. "When the name card reaches Wang Xuezheng, find a chance to hint at Xianjin's predicament to Chen Erlang."

Liu Shanhu was puzzled.

His forehead was almost as knotted as a curved piece of coral.

What’s going on here?

Liu Shanhu signed rapidly, and just from his raised pinky, one could tell he was saying something unpleasant.

Qiao Hui pursed his lips. "I’m not crazy."

After a moment, "I don’t plan to push Xianjin towards Erlang."

Another pause, "A brother’s wife must not be wronged; I have no intention of being like Ximen Qing..."

Qiao Hui noticed that ever since Liu Shanhu took up the clerical position, his literary talent had improved dramatically. After not seeing him for a few days, he even knew the story of Ximen Qing.

Qiao Hui waved his hand.

A young man who lost his wife early and spent half his life as a pirate at sea, the closest female presence might be a female sea anemone floating on the water’s surface—how could he understand emotions!?

He gave Chen Erlang a chance to clear up the misunderstanding, explain the secret code, and cut off all delusions—only then would Xianjin and Chen Erlang truly be settled.

As for Liu Shanhu and the others...

Qiao Hui raised an eyebrow. "Do you seem to like Xianjin?"

Liu Shanhu signed confidently. "She’s very quick when cutting people down!"

After a while, he affectedly signed, "Although she doesn’t understand sign language, she patiently waits for me to finish; although Hai Xing writes slowly, she waits and reads every little note he writes; such a capable elder sister-in-law, if she can’t become one; leader, you'd better head back to the East Sea to fish for beltfish yourself."

Liu Shanhu finished his speech and flashed a benevolent yet official smile.

...

Life in Yiyuan followed a strict routine.

Xianjin realized that Madam Qu controlled her mainly by restricting her personal freedom and basic needs.

Food: one bowl of radish and cabbage a day, one small steamed bun;

Drink: a small bowl of water;

Bathroom: this was quite specific. Xianjin managed to move the chamber pot to the small opening on the door and bribed the serving girl with two large green jade rings every day to help empty it once—it turned out the large green rings were useful. Even if they couldn’t blind others with their brilliance, they solved the more pressing issue of excretion...

Xianjin tried to make herself more comfortable without revealing the bodyguards.

She even found time to catch up on Qin Fuzi’s new work, *The Explosive Cool and Dashing Son-in-Law Who Ignites the Eight Great Gangs*, using the oil lamp given to her by Little Hai Xing.

This went on for five or six days until the door lock was opened, the door pushed open forcefully, and the handle slammed into the mud brick wall before bouncing back.

The sudden sunlight made Xianjin instinctively shield her eyes with her hand.

Through the gaps between her fingers, Madam Qu, thin and bony, stood tall with her chest puffed out, closely followed by Sun Shi, who shrank her head and skulked behind her.

Madam Qu tossed over a scroll of paper and lifted her chin slightly. "Sign it."

Xianjin stood up and unfolded the paper bit by bit.

"In Ba Li Huangmi Village, there is a daughter raised by her family, named Xianjin, who has reached maturity. She is to be married to the Chen family in Xuancheng as a secondary wife. Today, we received the betrothal gift of three hundred taels. The daughter will be married on an auspicious date to ensure the continuation of the family lineage and prosperity. She is a genuine daughter raised by her family, and no money or influence from others has been involved. Nor are there any unclear origins or duplicate records. If there are any issues or if she elopes, she will be returned. If any misfortune occurs due to fate, it is the will of heaven and not the responsibility of the betrothed family. This contract serves as proof of the marriage agreement."

This is a concubine contract.

Xianjin looked up at Madam Qu.

Madam Qu stood against the light, her face obscured, her voice coming from the shadows. "I have removed your name from the Chen family register and transferred you to Aunt Qu’s household. Thanks to Cao, the Vice Prefect, your transfer papers were processed quickly."

"You cannot leave the Chen family, and the Chen family cannot do without you. Sanlang is kind-hearted, and the third young mistress has promised not to cause you any trouble. The third master has always treated you as his own daughter. You need not worry about your future. Even as a concubine, you are a noble concubine brought in with a grand ceremony and formalities. Even if Sanlang marries in the future, he will not interfere with your children.

"Your mother had a lowly fate, and even if you were to be released, you would not find a suitable match. One must accept one’s fate. After being confined for so many days, has your temper been tempered?"