Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Fifty-Fourth Chapter

Before Lian Cheng could react, Lian Xiusheng cut in, saying men and women should keep their distance, so it wasn't appropriate to meet. Huqiu, both tactful and tactless, loudly announced that Miss Lan Xue had requested the master to come out and see her, and that she had already exchanged greetings with the elders of the household, so there was nothing improper about it.

"She traveled all this way alone as a young woman. If I don't see her, that would be discourteous and also harm her reputation. If word gets out, she'll be ridiculed." Lian Cheng got down from the bed, straightened his clothes, and walked out the door.

Ma Lanxue stood under the pear tree in the same attire as earlier. As Lian Cheng approached, she curtsied, and her maidservant stepped aside. She then asked about Lian Cheng's injury.

"It's just a sprained wrist, nothing serious," Lian Cheng said. "If you had something to convey, you could have sent a servant. Why trouble yourself to come in person?" He was straightforward, not thinking much of it. He asked why she had brought bone broth, saying they had such things at home. Noticing her face was slightly flushed, he looked up at the sky—it was nearly dusk—and then asked if Miss Lan Xue was feeling hot.

"I came specifically to see you," Ma Lanxue said, still recalling the scene of him diving from his horse that morning. She was both fearful and admiring of his courage—a quality rare among the young men in the capital. Her mother had forbidden her to come, saying that if their marriage was to be settled, it wasn't proper for the woman to take the initiative. But she didn't care.

Lian Cheng took the food box, opened it on the stone table under the pear tree, and exclaimed, "Mmm, smells great!"

He lifted the bowl and took a big gulp. "My sixth brother just brought me medicine. Even though I had some candied fruit after, my mouth is still bitter. Drinking your broth has made me feel much better."

Ma Lanxue was pleased he liked it and said, "I'll have someone bring you some more tomorrow."

Lian Cheng quickly declined. "No, no, that's..." He finally sensed something amiss about the delivered broth, falling silent and forgetting what he meant to say next.

But he quickly put the broth back into the food box, looked at the young woman before him, and said in a low voice, "I appreciate your kindness, but having soup delivered daily is too much. I can't accept it."

Ma Lanxue's smile stiffened slightly. She asked softly, "Did you eat the pastries the other day?"

Pastries? Lian Cheng thought she meant the ones he had with her mother, Lady Jin, and Li Wan at the polo match, so he nodded and said yes.

Ma Lanxue bit her lip, hesitating, then finally spoke, "Did you find anything in them that shouldn't have been there?"

Lian Cheng thought for a moment and said no.

Seeing her deep confusion, his mind started racing—thanks to his daily toil at the Imperial Guard Office. He asked, "Did someone poison the food at the polo match?"

"Polo match?" Ma Lanxue was even more puzzled. "I'm not referring to the polo match. I mean the pastries my maidservant delivered to your home a few days ago. Since you hadn't returned from work, she gave the box to your sixth brother to pass on to you. Don't you know?"

Lian Cheng immediately sensed there was more to this behind the scenes, and it likely involved his younger brother. But Ma Lanxue, after all, was an outsider to the two brothers—and everyone else was likewise an outsider to them. So he wouldn't reveal his own side's flaws in front of an outsider. Flustered, he shook his head and lied, "Of course I know. I ate the pastries, and they were delicious. I just misunderstood because I also had pastries at the polo match earlier."

"Did you find anything in them when you ate them?"

Lian Cheng still said no.

The light in Ma Lanxue's eyes gradually dimmed. She was almost crying, but she kept her cool. She offered a few more words of concern, urged him to rest and recover at home, then left with her maidservant. But Lian Cheng saw all her disappointment and sadness.

He felt bad that someone was upset because of him.

He grabbed the food box and rushed back into the room. Seeing Lian Xiusheng still sitting calmly on a stool, anger flared up in him. He stood in front of his brother and demanded, "Miss Lan Xue sent me pastries a few days ago. How come I didn't know?"

Lian Xiusheng lifted his eyes, looking coldly. "How would I know you didn't know?"

Lian Cheng shoved him. "Stop pretending. Miss Lan Xue just told me everything."

"I ate them," Lian Xiusheng said calmly. "I came back from work early, and the kitchen hadn't started cooking yet. I was hungry, so I ate them."

Lian Cheng hadn't expected that reason and found himself at a loss for words.

But Lian Xiusheng pressed on relentlessly. He stood up, his height and broad shoulders looming over his third brother, forcing him to step back. He also demanded, pressing his third brother, "Just a box of pastries. Because I ate them and didn't tell you, you're this vicious toward her, like you want to turn into a demon to interrogate me?"

Lian Cheng was backed onto the couch by the window. He braced himself on the small table on the couch to keep from collapsing. He stared wide-eyed at the cold, piercing eyes above him, breathing heavily. "You're talking nonsense! How could it be for her? So you ate them, fine, but I just don't know why you didn't tell me. And Miss Lan Xue kept asking if I found anything that shouldn't be there. Since you ate them, let me ask you: Did you find anything? Tell me honestly!"

Seeing that his third brother was truly relentless over a woman, Lian Xiusheng's heart ached deeply. He pulled the corners of his mouth into a half-smile. "To answer my third brother, I bit into a slip of paper in one of the pastries. I unfolded it and saw that she had written that she admires you. I remembered you said marriage wasn't urgent, so I burned the slip. What, has third brother changed his mind and plans to abandon me to tie the knot with someone else—"

"When did I say I changed my mind?" Lian Cheng interrupted directly. "When did I say I'd abandon you?"

Only then did the hostility around Lian Xiusheng slowly melt away like snow, but it left both of them drenched—tears welling up in their eyes.

Outside the window, pear blossoms drifted down in flurries. This year they bloomed better than before, falling with a soft thud like the heartbeat of the two inside the room. Flowers may wither, but this sentiment could last a hundred years.

Lian Xiusheng scrutinized his third brother's fair face, saw no pretense, and then said, "Ah, then I have misjudged my brother's intentions. I hope you will forgive me."

Lian Cheng sat down, his vision going dark, his face turning from red to white. Lian Xiusheng frowned, placed his palm on his brother's chest, and felt it racing wildly again.

"Don't make a fuss. I'll be fine after resting a bit," Lian Cheng said, waving his hand as Lian Xiusheng made to call someone.

Lian Xiusheng crouched down, looking up at his third brother, and said softly, "It's all Miss Lan Xue's fault. She shouldn't have come to see you this time. A gift, once given, shouldn't be questioned afterward. It only makes things awkward."

"..." Lian Cheng didn't listen to his twisted reasoning. He reached out, grabbed his brother's collar, and pulled him close, threatening, "This incident is over. If you dare pull any tricks behind my back again, I'll settle this with you properly!"

Lian Cheng hated his brother so much that he was gnashing his teeth, at a loss. Unable to think of what else to do, he leaned down and bit hard on his brother's shoulder. After biting, he thought for a moment and added, "Next time, my punishment won't be so gentle. I'll—I'll use a whisk on you."

Lian Xiusheng agreed, but his expression wasn't good.

Lian Cheng looked at him and asked what was wrong.

Lian Xiusheng brought his right hand out from behind his back—it was covered in blood. Looking at the trail of blood on the floor, they saw it was splattered everywhere with shards of pottery. Lian Cheng jumped up in fright and shouted, "Assassin!"

Lian Xiusheng covered his third brother's mouth and said, "The medicine bowl accidentally broke in my hand just now. I must have cut myself. I didn't feel any pain. It's nothing."

Although he said it was nothing, seeing the blood all over the floor shocked Lian Cheng. They still called for a doctor later. The doctor was a student of Consultant Xie, who had treated Lian Cheng and Zhang Ailian before. The doctor carefully tended to Lian Xiusheng's hand, bandaged it, and then relayed his master's message to Lian Cheng: he must not get angry. Lian Cheng waved his hand and said he was perfectly fine. Lian Xiusheng remained silent nearby, a look of guilt apparent in his eyes.

Lian Xiusheng was injured on his right hand, and Lian Cheng on his left. This scared the entire household and also made things convenient for them: visitors could check on both of them at once.

Seeing that his brother's injury was not serious, Lian Cheng's mind began to wander. If his younger brother needed help with official business, wouldn't that give him a legitimate excuse to see who his brother was corresponding with?

-

A few days later, Lian Cheng didn't get the chance to help with his brother's official duties, but he did receive two pieces of news—one good and one bad. First, Zheng Leatherwhip had been sentenced to death, and the higher authorities had approved it. Second, Luo Ke, the son of the Minister of Works, had gone on an outing with friends outside the city and accidentally drowned, barely escaping with his life. After waking up, Luo Ke insisted someone had pulled him under the water. He had hired Taoist priests to set up an altar at home to drive away evil spirits.

Lian Cheng thought it was just retribution and didn't pay much attention. When Qiao Er came crying at his door, he simply offered a few words of comfort and asked, "Did you ever do those things with Brother Zheng?"

Qiao Er immediately stopped crying. He wiped his face with a handkerchief and said, "Third Lang knows me—my mouth is sharp but my heart is soft. Not only do I not have the silver or the means to do such things, but even if I had the money and the men, I wouldn't do them."

"And besides, Third Lang and I—we can't enjoy pleasure with women anyway. That's one less temptation and one less sin."

Lian Cheng smiled without speaking. *You can't, but I can.*

During his recovery, Lian Cheng didn't enjoy the leisurely rest that Lian Xiusheng had. He still went to the yamen every day and practiced swordsmanship after work.

At the yamen, Lou Lan reappeared, but not as the Commissioner—now as a Chiliarch.

Lou Lan's sudden demotion shocked everyone up and down. His mother was the Grand Princess.

Lian Cheng didn't think this was a good thing. As Commissioner, he had been nominal; most of the official business was still handled by Lou Lan. This allowed Lian Cheng to use his lack of knowledge as an excuse to decline the hints of alliance from Meng Chong and his ilk.

But now that Lou Lan was demoted, Lou Lan's faction became Lian Cheng's faction. He would have to grit his teeth and take up the banner opposing Meng Chong and Qin Tianzhu. Otherwise, what voice would he have in the entire Imperial Guard Office?

Although Lian Cheng wasn't keen on power struggles, everyone in the yamen was interconnected. If he truly acted as a figurehead, and those two committed some treasonous act behind his back, dragging him down with them, then he wouldn't even need to worry about Lian Xiusheng's treachery—he himself would be guilty!

Lian Cheng called Lou Lan to the deserted pavilion in the southern yamen and said he would still let Lou Lan handle the Commissioner's affairs.

Lou Lan thought for a moment and replied, "The Commissioner has great talent and virtue. There's no need for self-deprecation. Your subordinate, a mere Chiliarch, will obediently carry out orders."

"Oh, what are you afraid of?" Lian Cheng sat down and invited Lou Lan to sit as well. "The yamen is full of undercurrents. I was a good-for-nothing before. How can I handle this? You've served here for a long time. I entrust this to you because I value you."

Lou Lan stared at the lackadaisical Lian Cheng, knowing full well that the latter had taken up his post in the government office solely for amusement—and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was never short of such playboys. However, times had turned a fool into a hero; a useless waste who couldn't even qualify as a junior officer had been hoisted into the position of Commissioner. Now, without anyone to back him up, he was making a fool of himself.

Thus Lou Lan spoke bluntly: "I've never gotten along with the Commander. If you ask me to do things for you, I'll constantly go against him. If that causes trouble down the road, can you handle it?"

"Huh?" Lian Cheng looked at Lou Lan's earnest expression and laughed. "Did you think I was on good terms with him?"

Just as Lou Lan was about to sneer, Lian Cheng leaned in and cut him off. "Captain Lou, you need to understand: Even on the same tree, branches differ; even on the same branch, leaves vary. My grandfather may have acted improperly—you've said so yourself many times—but have you ever seen me engage in petty deeds? I don't know exactly why you're at odds with Commander Meng, but I know the reason behind it. 'One who is friendless will be turned against by all; one who is helped by many will be supported by the world.' I think you don't need to be against me in everything. Besides, how do you know we're not heading toward the same destination by different paths?"

Lou Lan had been pondering the principle that the virtuous receive much help, but when Lian Cheng mentioned "heading toward the same destination by different paths," he stood up abruptly, his expression even more contemptuous than before. "I would rather share a common destination with everyone else than stoop to your level!"

"..." Lian Cheng watched him storm off and blinked. What a temper. Whoever ends up on the same path with a guy like that is in for bad luck.

Having failed in his attempt to win over the other party, Lian Cheng sauntered back to the document storage room. Ji Xing and Qiao Yuer were still diligently sorting papers. Under the pretext of going out on a mission, he hurried on horseback to the prince's mansion.

Li Wan personally came out to greet him. Before they had even finished a cup of tea, Li Wan had already shared everything he knew with his friend.

"It's not that big a deal. Some time ago, Embroidered Uniform Guard officers went to the Lu Prince's residence to arrest the perpetrators involved in the fraudulent sale of imperial wood. Privately, they took bribes and just went through the motions, releasing them after a few days in custody. Lou Lan was investigating those officers but let a few slip—all captains, who had taken bribes worth tens of thousands of silver taels. His Majesty flew into a rage and took it all out on him." Li Wan held his teacup and said with a grin, "I made a point of asking around just for you. Even if you hadn't come to ask, I would have come to your residence to deliver this good news."

Lian Cheng thought Lou Lan was a rather meticulous man; how could he have made such a grave mistake? Sensing his confusion, Li Wan said, "But it's imperial wood we're talking about. It looks like wood, but it's practically gold. Even my father was quite envious. How could the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate it thoroughly?"

"If you know that, doesn't His Majesty know it too?" Lian Cheng asked.

"Hmph." Li Wan lowered his voice. "It's not just Lou Lan who was demoted. The Minister of Works was also reprimanded and ordered to reflect at home for three months."

"How did the Minister of Works get dragged into this?"

Li Wan: "This is hot news, Minzi. You have to tell me how you'll thank me first before I tell you."

Lian Cheng urged him, "Whatever you want. Name it and hurry up."

"Stay overnight at my place tonight, and I'll tell you."

Without a second thought, Lian Cheng agreed and pressed Li Wan to speak quickly. Satisfied, Li Wan leisurely said, "That's why I say His Majesty is truly wise and mighty. A few days ago, after the morning court, missing his late brother, he went to the gate of the under-construction Xielu Hall. After a few steps, he noticed something off about a batch of timber. He secretly had it investigated. That investigation led back to Lou Lan. Since the construction project itself was under the Ministry of Works, the ministry couldn't escape blame either. So everyone was punished."

"There's also some good news, which I've saved for last." Li Wan shot Lian Cheng a gleeful look and blew on his tea to cool it. "This incident actually turned out well for your Sixth Lang. Today, an imperial decree reached the Hanlin Academy. Your Sixth Lang is no longer a Hanlin Academy Compiler; he has been transferred to the Ministry of Works as the Left Vice Minister."

Lian Cheng was thunderstruck.

Li Wan continued, "You really have to hand it to your Sixth Lang. From the sixth-rank Hanlin Compiler to the third-rank Left Vice Minister of Works—it took him less than a year. Minzi, tell me, is this bastard Lian Xiusheng really favored by heaven?"

Lian Cheng was momentarily stunned, his mind filled with the image of a sixteen-year-old Zhuangyuan and a seventeen-year-old Left Vice Minister of Works. According to the records he had read, Lian Xiusheng didn't enter the Grand Secretariat until his twenties. But now, it seemed reality and unofficial history were slightly different—reality was even more ridiculous!