Chapter 47

Lian Cheng felt he was sober, and when asked, he could still speak, but as if recounting from the beginning of time: "That liquor was too strong, I, your brother, switched to rice wine, and then there were some adults..."

Lian Xiusheng's brows were stern: "Which adult?"

"Several adults, which one does sixth brother mean?"

After speaking, Lian Cheng lifted his head and looked beneath himself, asking: "Why did sixth brother take off my pants?"

Lian Xiusheng then knew that a drunk's words couldn't be trusted. He softened his expression, carefully helped his third brother put his pants back on, and asked again where the blue finger-shaped bruise on his thigh had come from.

Lian Cheng finally had a moment of clarity and said it was the liquor being too harsh; he had absentmindedly downed a large cup and, not wanting to lose composure at the banquet, had pinched himself. After answering, he asked why his sixth brother had put his pants back on.

Lian Xiusheng: "What does third brother want to do?"

Lian Cheng didn't know what he wanted to do; he was dizzy.

Seeing that his third brother was silent, Lian Xiusheng thought he was angry. He stepped forward and took off his third brother's pants again.

Now, alcohol had dyed the third brother's entire body peach-colored. Butterfly-like and cloud-like patterns swirled around the blue marks on his legs, reminding Lian Xiusheng of the candied green plums his third brother had given him a month ago. He had bought some himself since, but none were as flavorful as the ones from his third brother. Now, he wondered if the green-plum-shaped bruise on his brother's leg tasted the same.

But Lian Xiusheng wouldn't take advantage of his vulnerability. He grabbed his third brother's ankle and placed the delicate sole of his foot on his abdomen. Lian Cheng was startled by the hardness, stretched his neck to look, and asked: "What are you hiding?"

"A dirty thing, not fit for third brother's eyes, lest it stain them. But would third brother be willing to help me get rid of it?" Lian Xiusheng asked softly.

Lian Cheng: "We are brothers, of course."

As he spoke, Lian Xiusheng slid his arm under Lian Cheng's back, pulling him up to sit on his lap. He observed propriety, doing only what they had agreed upon—upright and proper.

Lian Xiusheng unfastened his own belt with one hand, took his third brother's delicate hand, and guided his hand inside.

Lian Cheng was dizzy and let him do as he pleased, unaware of what he was sitting on. His head drooped weakly onto the shoulder in front of him, his unfocused gaze fixed on the only ear he could see. He then noticed a small birthmark behind Lian Xiusheng's ear, but it didn't look like one—more like a beast about to pounce.

Lian Xiusheng was not solely focused on what was below; he wanted to look at his third brother. He turned his head, his gaze locking for an eternity, his heart shaken.

Both their hands were dirty. Naturally, Lian Xiusheng cleaned them. He took a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his own hands first, then cleaned his third brother's. Lian Cheng leaned back in the carriage, yawned, stretched out his jade-like leg, and said: "Have you gotten rid of that thing? Let me step on it one more time, so it doesn't escape."

Lian Xiusheng let his third brother step on him freely, laughing: "Now that it's fallen into third brother's hands, of course it can't escape."

Lian Cheng stepped a few times to his satisfaction, then lay back down. He had nowhere to put his legs; one was bent, the other casually draped over his younger brother's knee.

No problem, we're brothers.

Lian Xiusheng then leaned over and took an oil lamp from the pearwood box behind the couch, lighting the dark carriage. He held the lamp, bent down, and with his jade-like fingers parted his third brother's legs. He hooked his index finger, flipping out the tender flesh marked with blue finger prints. Without any inner turmoil, he moved the lamp further away, lowered his head, and took the finger-printed spot into his mouth, savoring it tenderly.

Knowing his third brother was delicate, he didn't use too much force. All his filthy thoughts were just thoughts, they didn't apply to his third brother.

Thus, he treated it like some precious object, licking it carefully, biting it with obsession, and deeply savoring it.

When they neared the Lian mansion, the coachman outside called the horses to a halt.

Lian Xiusheng stopped, put his third brother's boots back on, took off his own cloak, wrapped it around his third brother, and carried him bridal style inside the mansion.

Jin Cai ran out from the gate, climbed into the carriage, lifted the curtains on both sides, and gathered up all the clothes scattered around.

As for that day after the apprenticeship banquet, Lian Cheng realized that the pinch he had given himself was so severe that it left a bruise for half a month. When had he become so vicious towards himself? Or had he developed inner force by training with Qiu Fang?

-

Impossible, impossible. Every week he would take his training sword to spar with Lian Xiusheng, and Lian Xiusheng, barehanded, would send his sword flying in less than half a move. How could he have inner force?

It was just that he himself was too heavy-handed. Though it had nothing to do with inner strength, it was still a kind of inner power. "One cannot be a true man without being ruthless," and being ruthless to oneself makes one even more of a man. From this perspective, his grand enterprise was bound to succeed!

A few days later, Zhang Ailian clearly noticed the change in Lian Cheng. She personally took up a sword and beat him until his head was covered in bumps, rebuking him for being arrogant and impetuous.

Only then did he settle down. While on duty at the yamen, he never forgot to bring Ji Xing, Qiao Yuer, and the new clerk Zhang Xian to study reading and writing together.

The incidents triggered by the finger marks were put to rest for the time being. Qingming Festival was approaching, and the household was busier than usual. Not to mention that winter clothes had to be packed away in boxes, just the tailoring of summer clothes for the entire household gave the steward a headache. The servants were easy to deal with—their styles were fixed every year. The most troublesome were the young masters and young ladies. Their bodies grew every year, and their ideas changed daily. If they were dissatisfied with the work, they would complain behind one's back about favoritism.

Thus, during every festive season, the busiest place was Yiqiu. Servants from other courtyards constantly came with messages from their masters to report to Fourth Madam. Zhou Yaniang already harbored no shortage of hatred for this family. When angered, she would lash out with veiled insults. Only those from Lan Garden and Penglai Pavilion hadn't yet been hit by her sarcasm.

Lian Cheng did not know her true identity. He brought some freshly made jujube cake from home to visit her, but Zhou Yaniang dismissed him coldly.

After leaving Yiqiu's courtyard, Huqiu clasped his hands and said angrily, "She doesn't appreciate kindness! I'm never coming again!"

Lian Cheng, however, did not feel slighted. He was not her biological son after all. If Zhou Yaniang were to treat him warmly, he would be afraid that she might be colluding with Lian Xiusheng to deal with him. He was only doing it for Lian Xiusheng's sake and also considered that her identity as a singing girl was questionable. In any case, it was fine not to make a friend, but he must not make an enemy.

He did not explain this to Huqiu. After returning to Penglai Pavilion, he heard Tong Xue say that the kitchen had cooked pufferfish soup today, so he sat early at the dining table waiting.

His courtyard was perfect in every way; even sitting by the eight-immortal table waiting for a meal, he could gaze at the pear blossoms covering the trees.

But at that moment, an angry Qiong Hua rushed in from outside. She stamped her foot and placed a scroll on the table. Lian Cheng asked what it was, and she said it was sent by Man Cai from the neighboring courtyard.

"Man Cai said that his master said the weather is warm now, and he has sent someone to find a few skilled masons and carpenters. They will start work in a few days. He sent Man Cai to inform our courtyard to pack up the valuables in the western rooms to avoid them getting lost elsewhere. I asked Man Cai what construction was going on, and that little servant raised his chin and said, 'What? Third Brother didn't tell Sister Qiong Hua? Before New Year, Third Brother himself told my master: not only the outer courtyards are to be connected, but also the inner courtyards, the rear side rooms and halls are all to be connected. From now on, Yiqiu is Penglai Pavilion, Penglai Pavilion is Yiqiu—one entity.'"

Qiong Hua mimicked Man Cai's smug little look perfectly. Fortunately, Tong Xue went over to comfort her, so she didn't get too worked up.

While Qiong Hua was speaking, Lian Cheng had already opened the scroll. Inside was a design drawing of how the two courtyards were to be connected. Lian Cheng studied and pondered it carefully. He studied it while sitting, standing, walking around, and even while standing under the pear tree.

The two courtyards depicted on the drawing, though said to be connected, were actually merged.

The outer courtyards of Penglai Pavilion and Yiqiu shared a small pond. In the past, because the two courtyards were not close, the original owner had divided the pond in two—building a corridor with rolled-up blinds above the water surface in the middle. In the drawing, this entire structure was removed. The newly built moon gate next to it, along with the wall, was completely demolished. The outer courtyards were thus merged into one.

Yiqiu's outer courtyard originally had no flowers or trees except for a sal tree, which was worlds apart from the lush vegetation of Penglai Pavilion. So Lian Xiusheng redesigned the layout of flowers and trees in both courtyards. He replaced tea plants with plum and apricot trees, replaced magnolia with crimson peach, and covered rocks with large amounts of moss, laying twisted ancient branches on top... He struck a balance, making Yiqiu no longer desolate and Penglai Pavilion no longer noisy.

The outer courtyard was far from being transformed. It was the changes to the inner courtyard and the rooms, pavilions, and terraces that made Lian Cheng start to wonder if this was still his home. Half of his house had been demolished!

The ancients valued the front hall and rear chambers, but now the front halls of both Penglai Pavilion and Yiqiu had been demolished and combined into one. It had twists and turns, with green pine pillars as partitions. There was a place for welcoming guests and small rooms for private conversations. In the corner, a small alley door was left for the female members of the family to come and go.

As for the rear side rooms that served as living quarters, needless to say. Lian Cheng's bedroom was unchanged, but Lian Xiusheng's bedroom was directly moved to Penglai Pavilion. The four or five rooms near Yiqiu were all demolished, and together with a few rooms from Yiqiu, they were turned into a tea pavilion, a qin room, a study, and the winding veranda that Lian Cheng had previously mentioned wanting. Around the winding veranda were the plum, apricot, and peach trees moved from the outer courtyard, forming a dense forest—so much so that when Lian Cheng looked at Penglai Pavilion, it was no longer Penglai Pavilion, and when he looked at Yiqiu, it was no longer Yiqiu, but a strange place belonging only to the two brothers.

Even the hall where Zhou Yaniang lived was blocked off "outside" by the forest of flowers and trees, while Lian Cheng's bedroom was at the deepest part of the peach blossom paradise.

The drawing made Lian Cheng's heart pound. A feeling of being coiled by a cold-blooded animal lingered around him. Lian Cheng went inside and drank several large bowls of tea, thinking, "That bastard Lian Xiusheng couldn't possibly still have those thoughts about me, could he?"

Suspicion breeds fear. Lian Cheng decided to go directly and ask.

He rolled the drawing back into the scroll, returned to the room, and picked up the whole box of freshly delivered food. He said he was going to find Lian Xiusheng to eat together. Huqiu, worried that he might be wronged, quickly offered to follow, but Lian Cheng refused, telling him to eat. He ran off quickly, as if to attend to something important.

Lian Xiusheng happened to be dining too. A heavy silence surrounded him; the fine food tasted bland to him. Lian Cheng strode in and placed the food box with a clang on the table. Then he turned around and furtively closed the door.

Then, without waiting to sit down and eat a bite, he slapped his hands on the table with a bang, looked down at him with the dignity of an elder brother, and demanded, "Sixth Brother, are you still in love with me?"

Having asked, he took the scroll from his sleeve, unrolled the drawing, and pointed at it, saying, "I only said to connect the two courtyards before New Year. What is the meaning of this?"

Lian Xiusheng had already put down his chopsticks. His expression was gentle, as if puzzled, "Third Brother doesn't want to be inseparable with me?"

"?"

Seeing no reaction from Third Brother, Lian Xiusheng lifted his eyelids and said coolly, "Is it because I am not Third Brother's blood brother? If it were any other brother in the family, Third Brother would have no objections?" Lian Cheng snapped back, gnashing his teeth, "No other brother in the family has touched me, kissed me, or said they are in love with me!"

Lian Xiusheng said calmly, "Xiu Sheng is still young and doesn't understand things."

"..." How did it become "back then"?

At this moment, Lian Cheng really wanted to grab the other by the collar and yell, "You're definitely going to cut in line for free eggs when you're old, because you're an unreasonable person even when you're young, and you'll only become an even more unreasonable old man!"

Lian Xiusheng was also angry inside. He felt he had never overstepped his bounds with his third brother, and the matter of merging the courtyards had been discussed between them long ago—it wasn't his unilateral decision. Yet now he faced his third brother's harsh interrogation. He would have to disguise and conceal his true feelings again. From beginning to end, he had done nothing improper. On the contrary, if his third brother had agreed to be lovebirds with him from the start, why would they be quarreling now?

"Third brother, you're still holding a grudge against me because of what happened before. If I had known this would happen," Lian Xiusheng pushed his bowl and chopsticks to the floor, saying calmly, "Being alone and helpless is my fate. Why didn't I die on that bloody night when the imperial guards broke down the door?"

"...That's not what I meant," Lian Cheng said incredulously, unable to understand why Lian Xiusheng was so extreme. His real self came out, "You're acting like this just because you know I'll soften. You're using self-pity to manipulate me, aren't you?"

"If not, then I'll take it as you belittling our brotherly bond. In that case, we have nothing left to say to each other." Lian Cheng also had a temper. He dropped the scroll and took the food box with him.

The maids and servants of Penglai Pavilion had assumed their young master would be gone until evening and had already gathered to play. But unexpectedly, he returned in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, even angrier than when Qiong Hua had come back earlier.

Tong Xue went over to ask what had happened. Lian Cheng didn't speak; he just clutched at his chest and collapsed onto the dining table. The young master usually liked to joke around, so Tong Xue thought he was playing some trick on them. She bent down to check on him, only to see large drops of sweat dripping from his face, which was paler than a ghost. She hurriedly patted his back, but Lian Cheng fell heavily from the stool.

-

Lian Cheng himself didn't know he had fainted. He only knew he had fallen into another terrible nightmare. Countless faces fell like petals from the sal tree. He covered his head and dodged left and right, cursing them as rotten fruit.

Only Qiong Hua and Huqiu were guarding the room. When they suddenly heard a sound from the bed, they thought Lian Cheng had woken up and rushed over to look. But he was talking in his sleep. Qiong Hua took a handkerchief to wipe his cold sweat and said with red eyes, "It must be Sixth Brother who poisoned our young master. He wants to establish the eldest legitimate son and kill our young master, then Eldest Brother and Second Brother. Then he'll be the undisputed heir."

Outside the door, many people had gathered, some sitting, some standing. Imperial Physician Xie sat at the table, looked around at the people present, and bowed to Lian Pu and Lian Xiusheng respectively, saying that Lian Cheng's condition was congenital and not a major problem—he just needed to avoid losing his temper.

Zhang Ailian, sitting beside the doctor, quickly asked if it was caused by her long-term medication. Doctor Xie asked when she had started taking the medicine and which herbs she mainly took. Zhang Ailian told him everything. Doctor Xie stroked his beard and shook his head, telling Zhang Ailian to rest assured that it had nothing to do with her medicine. Zhang Ailian wiped her tears with a handkerchief, "If it has nothing to do with my medicine, then how did he get sick in my womb? I've always been healthy..."

"Madam," Doctor Xie suddenly interrupted Zhang Ailian, "may I also take your pulse?"

So a maid raised a fan to shield Zhang Ailian from view, then lifted her sleeve. Doctor Xie placed his own handkerchief on the woman's wrist and pressed his fingers against it. After a short while, he let out a short, sharp gasp. When everything was removed, he signaled Lian Pu to dismiss the crowd in the room.

Only Zhang Ailian, Lian Pu, Lian Xiusheng, and Lian Feng remained. Doctor Xie saw that the number of people hadn't decreased much, but since it was their family's business, he let it be and said, "Madam, this is not an illness. You have been poisoned—with a gu poison."

"Gu poison? What is that?" Lian Feng asked.

"It's a trick from the Xiang region. They capture poisonous creatures like snakes and insects, seal them in a closed vessel, and let them fight until only one survives—that's the gu. But there are many types of gu insects. I've only read about them briefly in books and don't know the details."

Lian Pu stamped his hands anxiously, "Then, Old Master, how should this be treated?"

"Only by identifying which type of gu is in your body can we know the treatment. If it's a single gu, it's easy—just lure it out. But if it's a paired gu, then what's inside Madam is likely the child gu. To get it out, you need the mother gu to guide it. If you can't find the mother gu, the child gu will never come out."

Zhang Ailian waved her hand, "I've been dragging this sickly body for a long time. I wouldn't even be used to going a day without medicine. Old Master, don't waste your efforts on me. Please focus on treating my son."

Lian Xiusheng, who had been silent, spoke softly, "If it's a paired gu, then there should be no gu insect in my third brother's body. Am I right, Old Master?"

Doctor Xie said, "Exactly. But precisely because of that, it's more difficult. If he had a gu inside, luring it out would solve the problem. But he was exposed to gu vapors in the womb—it's hard to say."

Lian Pu quickly asked, "Hard to say? How so?"

"When I diagnosed the young gentleman's pulse just now, his six pulses were strong and steady, like a healthy person. But after feeling it longer, I noticed it would suddenly stop, then become rapid, then return to normal. It's a case of heart deficiency and qi stagnation, combined with liver fire hyperactivity. I'll give him some pills to reduce fire and supplement qi."

"But the young gentleman's condition is particularly special. Normally, three doses of my pills would be enough, but for him, it's uncertain. In the future, he must avoid getting angry, worrying too much, and overthinking. Also, has the young gentleman been sleeping late recently?"

Lian Feng went out to call Tong Xue in to answer. Tong Xue came in, curtsied, and said that the young master always studied late into the night.

Lian Pu said, "Why waste money making him burn the midnight oil? He's worse than a ghost!"

Doctor Xie laughed heartily and said that if he took good care of himself in the future, the problem wouldn't be too serious. He also prescribed some medicine for Zhang Ailian. When leaving, he slung his medicine box over his shoulder and said he would soon go to the Xiang region to gather herbs and consult teachers. Once there, he would also seek a method to cure the gu poison. Lian Pu and Zhang Ailian thanked him profusely, paid double the consultation fee, and had Fu Guang respectfully see him into his sedan chair.

Back in the room, Lian Pu pulled Zhang Ailian aside and asked her in detail who had poisoned her with gu. Zhang Ailian sneered and said that nine out of ten filthy things in the world happened in the imperial palace. The fact that she had survived until now was already a blessing. She only pitied her son, who was implicated because of her. Lian Feng comforted her for a long time and repeatedly begged Lian Pu to take Zhang Ailian back to their courtyard to rest, saying he would look after his younger brother.

The elderly couple left with a group of maids and nannies, looking back every few steps. After they left, Lian Feng wanted to let his sixth brother go rest as well, but the other insisted on staying. "The spring equinox ancestral sacrifice is approaching. Eldest brother has many important matters to attend to. I live close to third brother, so it's convenient for me to come and go. I'll stay and take care of him. You should go back."

Lian Feng thought about it and agreed, not insisting. As he was leaving, Yun Jieer ran in, clasped her hands together in front of Lian Cheng's door, and prayed to heaven and earth, "Third uncle, third uncle, get well soon! Take me on an outing when you're better!"

Afterward, Lian Xiusheng sent the other siblings away. When several of the concubines came to visit, he refused them entry. He also sent Huqiu and Qiong Hua away. He moved a stool to his third brother's bedside and kept watch alone.

-

At midnight, Lian Cheng finally woke up. His fingers moved and touched cold strands of hair. He lifted his head from the pillow and saw a head lying beside him.

A head! Lian Cheng was so startled he sat up abruptly. The person sleeping beside the bed was also awakened by his movement.

Lian Xiusheng looked tired, but a rare smile appeared on his face. "Third brother, you're awake? I'll light the lamp."

Lian Cheng was dazed. As the room brightened, he swallowed and asked, "When did I fall asleep?"

Lian Xiusheng continued lighting the other lamps, the light flickering in his eyes. "I shouldn't have argued with third brother."

What was this all about? Lian Cheng's mind raced. A flash of inspiration struck him. "Am I going to die?"

If he died, could he go back to being a college student?

Lian Cheng cheerfully climbed out of bed, half sweet, half sorrow.

Before he could start writing farewell letters to the family he had just gotten to know, he had barely gotten off the bed when someone grabbed him from behind. The force was so strong it made his vision go dark. Lian Xiusheng pressed against him from behind, leaning down to whisper in his ear, "Third brother, don't say such ominous things. The doctor said you just caught some of mother's illness—nothing serious."

Hearing this, Lian Cheng's body went limp. He knew it—it wouldn't be that easy to go back.

He patted the back of Lian Xiusheng's hand, and the other let him go.

Lian Cheng climbed back onto the bed, lay spread-eagled, and sighed deeply. Lian Xiusheng sat down on the stool and asked why he was sighing.

"You don't understand your elder brother," Lian Cheng said, then turned over to face away from Lian Xiusheng, his shoulders shaking silently.

Lian Xiusheng sat upright, his fingers clenched the mat, grasping at nothing, his hands ice-cold. What didn't he understand? His third brother? Was it that he didn't understand, or that his third brother didn't want him to understand?

He lowered his eyes, still with an unyielding look, but his spirit was slightly dimmed.

After a long while, Lian Cheng suddenly sat up and laughed heartily twice. "Ha, got you! You fell for it! You argued with me during the day—now you know your elder brother's power. See if you..."

Before he could finish, the person beside the bed suddenly pounced on him. Both of them fell into the bedding. Lian Xiusheng had only thought of it as an impudent idea, but then he acted on it, overstepping propriety. He propped himself up over his third brother, looking down at him breathing heavily, his sickly pallor not yet faded, red lips and white teeth, beauty beyond compare.

After a thousand thoughts, Lian Xiusheng still firmly suppressed the burning thirst in his heart. He pulled his third brother's body from the bedding into his arms, secretly inhaling the fragrance of the flowers.

"Third brother, third brother."