Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Inside the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
Qiu Xiao, the young pirate king, leaped from his warhorse just before it collapsed, landing gracefully on the ground.
"Jin Shiying, you're as powerful and fearlessly brave as they say."
"And Young Master Qiu, your swordsmanship is as vicious as ever."
"So you felt the viciousness in my blade too? Then do you think this sword of mine can flay that weakling Shen Lang and castrate him? Since Jin Mulan is married, I'll just have to make her a widow before I can take her as my wife."
Jin Shiying offered no reply.
"Count Xuanwu, if my wife isn't here, then hurry up and give me back my money."
Watching the unruly pirate wreak havoc before him, Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, recalled Shen Lang's words.
"Father-in-law, Qiu Xiao is a treasure. He's the secret weapon our estate can use to crush Zhang Chong in one blow, a treasure that will free us completely from the new government's snare. We must capture him, but we can't kill him prematurely. He must be killed at the right moment to maximize his effect, so until then, we must keep him alive."
The Count could almost picture Shen Lang looking at Qiu Xiao, drooling at the thought of capturing him, thinking, *'A treasure, a great treasure!'*
"Qiu Xiao, the annual date for repaying the indemnity has not yet arrived. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate cannot produce such a large sum at once. I will give you three thousand gold coins now, and the remaining six thousand will be paid when the deadline comes."
After speaking, the Count waved his hand, and Jin Hui entered carrying a chest with three thousand gold coins. Qiu Xiao lifted the tip of his scimitar and glanced inside the chest. He hadn't come for the money; he'd come to witness the estate's downfall and claim a share of the spoils.
*'The Count of Xuanwu's Estate is on the brink of ruin. Is there a rule that only the nobles and the powerful get to feast on the fat from their corpse? Can't we pirates get a piece too? Don't forget, the Jin Clan owes us money. Putting everything else aside, our Qiu Clan will take at least half of the salt fields on Wang'ai Island, the estate's territory.'*
"Take the gold."
Instantly, a pirate stepped forward and tied the chest of gold to a horse. Qiu Xiao leaped lightly onto the horse behind a female pirate, shoving a large hand down the front of her pants. Then, he raised his scimitar, pointed it at Jin Jianniang, and said.
"Woman, don't you die. On the day the Count of Xuanwu's Estate falls, I'll take both you and Jin Mulan to Raging Tide City. I won't let you end up in the Gisaeng House. Let's go!"
Qiu Xiao and his crew whooped and spurred their horses, galloping away wildly.
"Count Xuanwu, I'll be watching your family's destruction from Raging Tide City!"
* * *
A great fire at the Xu residence shocked the entire city of Xuanwu. The city lord, Liu Wuyan, personally led several hundred private soldiers to extinguish the flames. He managed to prevent the fire from spreading, but by then, more than half of the Xu Clan's grand mansion had already burned down, leaving it a desolate, empty lot.
Zhang Jin repeatedly plunged into the sea of fire, trying to save his fiancée, Xu Qianqian. His clothes caught fire, his hair was singed, and he suffered burns all over his body, but he failed. He could only watch with wide eyes as his fiancée was consumed by the inferno. In that moment, Zhang Jin let out a heart-wrenching cry, coughed up blood in front of everyone, and fainted. Afterward, others discovered the body of the Xu Clan's head, Xu Guangyun, and his last will.
"Because of that bastard Shen Lang, my family is ruined and all its members are dead. My wise son-in-law, you must avenge me! You must!"
Liu Wuyan first investigated Xu Qianqian's waterside pavilion, where the fire had started. Discovering traces of oil nearby, he concluded that Xu Qianqian had set the fire herself. She must have been unable to bear the blow and chose to commit suicide by fire. The head of the Xu Clan, Xu Qianqian, and the clan's three sons had either committed suicide or burned to death in the great fire. All that remained of the Xu Clan was Xu Guangyun's elderly mother and a young son, barely five years old, born to a concubine.
That the once-great Xu Clan had been almost entirely wiped out was a tragic piece of news. The people of Xuanwu City were shocked and sighed in sorrow. Though they generally resented the rich, they did not hate them enough to rejoice in their misfortune. The Prefect of Nujiang Commandery, Zhang Chong, quickly returned to Xuanwu City to personally offer his condolences to the surviving members of the Xu Clan.
* * *
Six hours later.
Two important figures once again visited the Count of Xuanwu's Estate: Yan Wuqi, the envoy of the Governor-General of Tiannan Province, and Zhang Chong, the Prefect of Nujiang Commandery. Prefect Zhang Chong wore a sorrowful expression, seemingly affected by the Xu Clan's tragedy. However, as a prefect, he could not let personal matters interfere with his official duties, and he continued to handle his affairs with impeccable diligence.
"Count Xuanwu, the main reason for our visit today is to make a final attempt to mediate the fief dispute between you and the Count of Jinhai. Is there truly no room for a peaceful resolution between your two families? Must this be settled with force?
In my opinion, dividing Golden Mountain Island between you would be a good solution. Both you and the Count of Jinhai are pillars of the state. You must defend the Eastern Sea for the King, so is it not important to live in peace?"
This was politics. The Golden Mountain Island dispute was the decisive weapon Zhang Chong could use to destroy the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, yet here he was, pretending to be a sincere mediator. Zhang Chong didn't actually enjoy acting, but it was a necessary part of the process.
The Count of Xuanwu asked calmly.
"Has the envoy bearing the King's decree already arrived at the Governor-General's office in Tiannan Province?"
Hearing this, Zhang Chong and Yan Wuqi were left speechless. While everyone else was wearing pleasant masks and playing their parts, the Count of Xuanwu alone refused to participate, with an innocent face that seemed to say, *I can't play these games*.
*'This... this isn't fun. We all have to act for the play to seem real. If even one person doesn't play along, it becomes a terrible performance. Can you even call yourself a nobleman if you can't act your part accordingly?'*
"We shall take our leave!"
Zhang Chong and Yan Wuqi bid their farewells. With the final mediation having failed, Nujiang Commandery and Tiannan Province had done all they could. It was no exaggeration to say that the horn signaling the doom of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate had now officially sounded.
* * *
The Xu residence.
The servants and slaves began to pack the Xu Clan's valuables and flee. With their masters gone, the servants became vicious dogs that turned on them. At first, they fled stealthily, but later, they brazenly stole treasures right in front of Xu Guangyun's elderly mother. In just two days, the remaining wealth of the Xu Clan was completely plundered by the servants. All that was left were a few elderly retainers, Xu Guangyun's nearly blind mother, and a child not yet five years old. The state of the Xu Clan was so utterly tragic it was horrifying.
The Xu Clan's funeral, overseen by Zhang Jin, was held on a grand scale. Because Zhang Chong and Liu Wuyan attended, all the officials of Nujiang Commandery were present as well. Zhang Chong held the hand of Xu Guangyun's mother, tears streaming down his face.
"Guangyun and I were like brothers. For him to leave so soon... my heart is breaking! But Old Madam, do not worry. Guangyun's mother is my mother.
And though Qianqian never formally joined our Zhang family, she is as good as my daughter-in-law. Her body must be buried in the Xu family tomb, but her spirit tablet will be placed in our Zhang family's ancestral shrine."
Then, Zhang Chong knelt on both knees before Xu Guangyun's mother.
"Zhang Chong pays his respects to his adoptive mother!"
At that moment, everyone present was deeply moved.
*'The Prefect is a man of great loyalty.'*
Xu Guangyun's young son was too young to act as the chief mourner. Zhang Jin stepped forward to take his place, kneeling before the funeral altar. Each time a guest arrived, he knelt and bowed.
"A guest has arrived! Bow. Once, twice, three times! The chief mourner will return the bow!"
"Young Master Zhang, please don't be too heartbroken!"
Three days after the coffins were placed, when it was time for the formal funeral procession, Zhang Jin, still in mourning clothes, continued to act as the chief mourner. It was a grand sight. Over a thousand people joined the procession to escort the coffins to the burial ground. The private soldiers of Xuanwu City led the way, clearing a path.
"Master Xu, come back! Qianqian, my wife, come back!"
With a haggard face and bloodshot eyes, he cried out in a hoarse voice that sounded as if it were tearing his throat apart. His mournful appearance moved everyone. Each wail was like the cry of a cuckoo weeping blood, bringing tears to the eyes of all who heard it.
"Young Master Zhang must be a man of deep affection."
"For a great hero like Young Master Zhang to be so devoted. A heartless man cannot be called a true hero."
"Xu Qianqian may have died young, but having been betrothed to a hero as devoted as Young Master Zhang, she can rest in peace in the afterlife."
"Xu Guangyun's death was tragic, but he has received great honor in death. The Prefect's family has spared no effort, conducting the Xu family's funeral with the utmost sincerity."
* * *
The bodies of Xu Guangyun and Xu Qianqian were interred in the tomb. Zhang Jin once again collapsed to the ground, weeping. While Xu Guangyun's body was relatively intact, Xu Qianqian's was little more than a pile of ashes. Xu Guangyun's mother shed no tears. Perhaps hers had long since run dry. She continuously repeated the same words.
"As the fortune grew, so did the calamity that befell my descendants."
Great wealth and high status had brought great disaster. After the funeral, the Xu family's old matriarch took out the marriage contract and handed it to Zhang Chong, saying.
"Prefect, Qianqian died young and never formally married your son. Therefore, let us annul this engagement. When I return, I will send back the betrothal gifts received from the Zhang family."
Zhang Chong refused. Zhang Jin, who had quietly regained consciousness, heard her words and slammed his head on the ground so hard it seemed he would draw blood.
"Grandmother, please do not say such cruel things. Since Qianqian promised to be my wife, she will be my wife for life. Please, do not break the engagement. Only then can I always keep her in my heart. If you annul it, I won't even be able to carry her memory."
The Xu matriarch intended to tear up the marriage contract in front of the crowd, to restore Zhang Jin's status as an unengaged man. But Zhang Jin snatched the contract and tucked it into his robes as if it were a treasure. Then, he walked to Xu Qianqian's tombstone.
"First bow to Heaven and Earth. Second bow to the ancestors. Third bow, husband and wife to each other!"
After bowing, Zhang Jin declared loudly before everyone.
"From this day on, Qianqian is no longer my fiancée, but my formally wedded wife. She will be for all my life, and in the next life as well."
At that moment, everyone present was completely moved. His devotion to Xu Qianqian was so profound it seemed it could move the very heavens.
* * *
Darkness fell. The funeral attendees had long since departed, leaving the lavish tombs of Xu Guangyun and Xu Qianqian deserted. The daytime bustle was a distant memory, and now, not a single person was left to guard the graves.
In the dead of night, two shadows quietly approached the cemetery. They were grave robbers. The Xu Clan had been incredibly wealthy merchants, and their tombs were opulent, so the robbers assumed that many treasures must have been buried in the coffins of the father and daughter.
*'We're going to strike it rich this time!'*
Panting, they worked for a full *shichen* before they finally dug up the grave and opened the coffin. But as it turned out, there were no burial treasures inside at all.
"Tch! Bad luck. Who knew the Xu Clan was so stingy."
Unable to contain their frustration, the grave robbers took their shovels and slammed them furiously into the ground. Then, they left without a second thought for the desecrated graves. The two tombs were left horribly dug up, the bodies lying exposed on the open ground. Some time later, a woman of pure and elegant beauty appeared before the graves. Dressed in white mourning clothes, she looked even more beautiful. Had the two grave robbers still been there, they would have screamed as if they had seen a ghost.
*'That woman was supposed to be dead! Why is she alive?!'*
Her tears had run dry. After staring blankly for a long time, she moved Xu Guangyun's body back into his coffin and, using her bare hands, covered it with earth, burying him once more. She paid no mind to the other coffin and grave beside it. After reburying Xu Guangyun, she knelt on the ground and spoke in a chilling tone.
"Father, I will avenge you. For the sake of revenge, I am willing to pay any price!"