Chapter 35: Expedient

Chapter 35: A Temporary Measure

◎This is merely an expedient measure.◎

Li Ci remained rooted in her chair, refusing to budge, and slowly said, "Grandfather, you haven't yet told Lord Xie what kind of person to look for for me."

If an ordinary girl spoke like this, she would likely be scolded by her elders for being immodest, but Zhou Zeshan laughed heartily and indulged her, saying, "Ah Ci is right. In that case, I'll set aside my pride and ask Lord Xie to keep an eye out for any talented young men of humble origins who might suit my granddaughter."

Xie Zhenchuan held his teacup with slender fingers, his phoenix eyes arching sharply towards his temples. An unconcealed glint flashed in his eyes, and though his appearance remained unchanged, an invisible sense of pressure now emanated from his every movement.

If he remembered correctly, Zhou Zeshan's granddaughter had just moments ago vowed to protect him, to take responsibility no matter what, even if it meant enduring hardship or imprisonment alongside him.

Xie Zhenchuan narrowed his eyes slightly and curved his lips into a smile. "I will remember."

Seeing the curve of Xie Zhenchuan's lips, Li Ci thought he seemed in a good mood and seized the moment to add, "I... I have new criteria too."

Xie Zhenchuan raised an eyebrow and looked at her, leisurely replying, "I’d like to hear the details."

Li Ci lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her fingers, looking left and right but not daring to meet his eyes. "He must be willing to be a live-in son-in-law, handsome, and preferably enjoys experimenting with food."

Chen Ting found the description increasingly familiar, while Zhou Zeshan grew more concerned. Aside from the condition of being a live-in son-in-law, this was essentially the description of the previous "Xie Zheng."

Xie Zhenchuan gave a light cough, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes. "Lord Zhou must know that each of these requirements alone is not difficult, but together, they become quite challenging."

"Indeed," Chen Ting chimed in, ostensibly agreeing but secretly paving the way for himself. "In matters of marriage, shared feelings are most important. If the other person truly treats Miss Li well, it might not be necessary to insist on every single requirement."

Zhou Zeshan mused thoughtfully and said to his granddaughter, "Ah Ci, why don't you tell us yourself? Among these requirements, are there any you would be willing to compromise on or prioritize?"

Li Ci blinked, a look of dilemma on her face. "I want all of them."

Just as Chen Ting was about to persuade her further, Xie Zhenchuan nodded with a smile and said, "No matter. I will keep a closer eye out from now on. If I come across a suitable candidate, I will certainly inform you as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Li Ci immediately perked up, placing high hopes on Xie Zhenchuan. "That's wonderful! If it works out, we will definitely invite Commander Xie to the wedding ceremony."

"Lord Xie must forgive her forwardness," Zhou Zeshan said, though he didn't approve, still explaining indulgently, "Lord Xie is buried in responsibilities and likely won't have time to attend your wedding."

Xie Zhenchuan set down his teacup, the porcelain making a faint, light clink as it touched the table.

He acted as though he hadn't heard, smiling faintly. "Not at all."

Xie Zhenchuan looked up at Li Ci's innocent, untroubled smile and said firmly, "If I have the time, I will certainly attend."

It was a standard polite reply, and Zhou Zeshan felt relieved upon hearing it.

Fortunately, Commander Xie hadn't developed feelings for her, and his granddaughter was merely a passing fancy.

He had originally planned to keep Li Ci at home a while longer and hadn't started looking for a match for her. Now, it seemed he should start paying attention to whether there were any suitable students in the academy.

Li Ci, having received his promise, smiled with curved eyes, her features exceptionally charming. She left the barely touched bitter Phoenix Dancong tea on the table, performed a traditional farewell gesture, and walked away with light, brisk steps.

-

Once Li Ci was coaxed away, for some reason, all three men present secretly sighed in relief.

"Some things were inconvenient to discuss earlier," Zhou Zeshan said, straightening his posture. "The imperial examination corruption case in Jiangnan is massive in scale with wide-reaching connections. I wonder what Lord Xie plans to do now?"

Xie Zhenchuan briefly summarized the situation currently known to the Zhuoying Department, from the swapped exam papers of the scholars and the missing massive funds of the Huai'an Salt Transport Branch to the middleman art dealers and the chief examiner who auctioned paintings for exorbitant prices.

"Although I've been investigating this case secretly for two years, I've made less progress than Lord Xie has in one month," Zhou Zeshan said, ashamed yet admiring. "On behalf of the Jiangnan scholars, I thank both of you."

Chen Ting shared in the honor, saying, "Lord Zhou need not undervalue yourself. The Zhuoying Department's methods are indeed beyond ordinary people's capabilities."

"With wolves in power, Lord Zhou remained steadfast and stood up for what is right. You are already a model for us all, and we should thank you for paving the way," Xie Zhenchuan said humbly, nodding. "However, we still lack the confession and account books from the intermediary, so we cannot prove where the bribe money went."

Zhou Zeshan couldn't help but say, "No wonder we heard first that the Zhuoying Department arrested someone in the marketplace, and then that Commander Xie suddenly appeared in Yingtian—it was to protect the witness from the local officials."

The strategy worked well. Not long after Xie Zhenchuan disclosed his status at the Earl of Guangcheng's residence, the officials trying to take Shopkeeper Xu and her daughter away from Jixian Bookstore soon dispersed.

As this matter was most urgent, and both sides had been frank with each other, Chen Ting outright explained Xie Zhenchuan's reason for arresting the person and voiced his concerns. "Lord Xie only publicly claimed it was a personal matter, but I wonder how long that can hold. If Xu Yuxuan confesses, it would be fine, but I fear these people might resort to desperate measures, cutting losses and destroying the net, making it harder to investigate."

After all, Xie Zhenchuan had previously enrolled in Lianquan Academy under the name "Xie Zheng" without hiding it. Besides, as a member of the royal family, he had no relatives here—what personal matter could he possibly have?

Zhou Zeshan had also considered this. "Has Lord Xie thought of a countermeasure?"

Xie Zhenchuan took a slow sip of tea and said leisurely, "It was a necessary move. I would like to ask both of you to help devise a better strategy."

"This..." Zhou Zeshan paused, not speaking.

Instead, Chen Ting frowned as an idea came to him.

After all, everyone had witnessed Xie Zhenchuan's fury today over a beauty, and Li Ci was stunningly beautiful. If they claimed he had come for her, everything would make perfect sense.

"I have an idea," Chen Ting said, though he regretted that he wasn't the one acting alongside Li Ci. Still, for the bigger picture, he gritted his teeth and added, "But it might tarnish the reputation of your granddaughter."

Both Xie Zhenchuan and Zhou Zeshan had already thought of this method, but due to their respective private reasons, neither had brought it up.

Zhou Zeshan understood the priorities clearly. Now that Chen Ting had voiced it, he had no choice but to say, "I understand what you mean, Lord Chen. Although Ah Ci is seeking a husband to marry into her family, she is still a young lady. We must ask for her opinion on this matter."

"Please rest assured, Lord Zhou. I would never force Miss Li to do anything she is unwilling to do," Xie Zhenchuan said with humility and courtesy. "If Lord Zhou trusts me, I will handle this matter."

"Very well." Although Zhou Zeshan agreed, he shook his head inwardly. That child Ah Ci was innocent and kind-natured, and Xie Zhenchuan treated her unusually well—how could she possibly refuse?

"However, there is one more thing I would like to ask of Lord Xie."

Xie Zhenchuan's eyes were warm and gentle as he smiled slightly. "Please speak freely, Lord Zhou."

Zhou Zeshan said bluntly, "As the ancient saying goes, 'Familiarity breeds contempt, and proximity diminishes respect.' Lord Xie is extraordinary, radiant as frost and moonlight, outshining even the glow of fireflies. Ah Ci is merely a young woman from the inner chambers, with limited knowledge and experience. If she agrees, I ask that Lord Xie go easy on her in your interactions to keep her from getting in too deep."

"Lord Zhou exaggerates." Xie Zhenchuan curved his lips slightly, his eyes clear and bright like moonlight. He truly appeared a humble gentleman, refined and elegant, leaving no room for doubt about his sincerity.

"Miss Li is utterly kind, utterly pure, utterly genuine, and utterly sincere. During our time together, I have come to regard her as a younger sister, and we look out for each other. This is merely an expedient measure. I am grateful for the Earl of Guangcheng's household's righteousness and understand propriety and integrity. I would never do anything to offend her."

Only then did Zhou Zeshan reluctantly set his heart at rest.

With the matter settled, Xie Zhenchuan pondered for a moment before speaking again. "I also have a question I would like to ask Lord Zhou."

Zhou Zeshan nodded. "Please, go ahead."

"How did Lord Zhou see through my identity back then?"

Xie Zhenchuan had carefully reviewed the events in his mind but couldn't figure out where he had slipped up.

Zhou Zeshan sighed. "Lord Xie is meticulous and leaves no room for error. However, many years ago, I had the honor of attending the wedding banquet of Princess Jianing and the Duke of Xin. Lord Xie shares a resemblance to someone I once knew, which is why I dared to test you."

So that was it.

Xie Zhenchuan and Chen Ting both clasped hands in farewell and took their leave from Zhou Zeshan.

Once they had walked some distance away, Chen Ting put on a smile and leaned closer to Xie Zhenchuan, sucking up, "Brother."

Xie Zhenchuan retorted mercilessly, "As far as I know, my parents did not have the fortune of blessing me with a younger brother."

"Well, they didn't give you an 'utterly kind, utterly pure, utterly genuine, and utterly sincere' younger sister either, so who's to say I can't be your brother-in-law?" Chen Ting weighed Li Ci against all the beauties he had ever seen and brazenly pressed on. "Since you won't be marrying into her family anyway, why not give me a chance? And tell me about that method of steeping Phoenix Dancong tea with rock sugar."

Xie Zhenchuan didn't even bother to look at him, his thin lips parting slightly as he slowly uttered a single word. "Get lost."