Chapter 22
Chapter 22
"I cannot stop those whom the Count's Estate wishes to escort. I will return and report this to the City Lord."
At Thirteen's words, Jin Zhong remained expressionless, yet he replied with impeccable courtesy.
"Then I shall leave you to it. Men, escort Master Shen, Madam Shen, and the second young master to the sedan chair."
As he commanded in a loud voice, a dozen warriors emerged from behind him. They carried no obvious weapons, but their bearing was anything but ordinary.
Guided by the Count's Estate warriors, Shen Lang's parents and younger brother boarded a sedan chair large enough for several people to lie down inside. Though only six warriors lifted the chair, it moved with a speed and swiftness far exceeding a normal person's walking pace.
"We will take our leave now."
To Jin Zhong's brief farewell, Thirteen also bowed in response.
"Safe travels."
From start to finish, Jin Zhong's voice was gentle and his manners were flawless, leaving Thirteen with no room to act. Although he held an official arrest warrant from the City Lord's office and was proceeding with a legitimate, by-the-book mission, he couldn't press the matter. The reason was simple.
There were many others in situations similar to Shen Lang's family, yet they were never sanctioned. The justification that Shen Lang's family had to pay for his crimes was a significant constraint on Thirteen's actions.
Furthermore, while Thirteen had a legal basis to arrest Shen Lang's family with the warrant, causing a scene with a man from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was a step too far.
Besides, there was no precedent for enforcing such punishments for similar cases, and Thirteen had no desire to take an unnecessary risk. Of course, Jin Zhong understood all of this without a word being said, which was why he had quietly withdrawn.
***
After Jin Zhong and the warriors from the Count's Estate had all departed, Thirteen bit his lower lip hard. A warrior beside him noticed and asked urgently.
"Thirteen, sir, why did you do that? The Gang Leader will be furious when he learns we let Shen Lang's family go."
"Do you know who that man was?"
The warrior from the Black Clothes Gang shook his head.
"I do not."
"That was Jin Zhong of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. He is the Count's trusted confidant."
The faces of the surrounding warriors changed in an instant.
"Shen Lang, that pale-faced bastard, is he in league with Jin Zhong from the Count's Estate?"
The warrior couldn't contain his curiosity and asked again.
"We should pray that Shen Lang's connection to the Count's Estate isn't deep. If he's merely in league with a single servant, it's not a major concern. But if it's more than that..."
"If it's more than that, what happens, sir?"
The warrior asked, trembling with anxiety.
"If it's more than that, we won't be walking around so freely."
"Are you saying we'll be arrested?"
"No. We'll be dead."
Thirteen's mind replayed his brief encounter with Shen Lang. Despite being in a life-threatening crisis, he had remained calm and composed throughout, even smiling. Perhaps Shen Lang had foreseen this entire situation and planned his scheme all along.
"I have to go report to the Gang Leader. If things go south, I'll have to find a way to survive, no matter what. The Xu and Lin Clans are in the same boat as us, so they won't be able to just ignore us!"
With that, Thirteen wasted no more time, immediately mounting his horse and galloping madly toward the Black Clothes Gang's headquarters. If Shen Lang truly had a connection with the Count's Estate, waiting around would mean their literal end.
Though he had spent very little time with Shen Lang, Thirteen was certain he was no fool. No, he was a meticulous and sinister man. With that thought, Thirteen spurred his horse with all his might and soon arrived at the headquarters of the Black Clothes Gang.
***
The Black Clothes Gang was a kind of independent barracks established outside Xuanwu City. Under the pretext of being the base for the city's militia commander, it had its own small walls and several hundred soldiers. The Great Yan Dynasty itself recognized the independent autonomy of its vassals, so it wasn't just the Black Clothes Gang; officials in various regions had established their own forces to counter the traditional aristocratic powers.
Thirteen burst into the fortress like an arrow. Normally, he would have entered slowly, greeting his comrades and making small talk. He was, after all, someone who worked hard on his reputation and relationships to build his own power base within the gang.
But now, Thirteen had no time for such things. He rushed into the fortress and straight into Gang Leader Tian Heng's room. At that moment, Tian Heng was enjoying a pleasant time with a cherished concubine. At the sudden presence, Tian Heng quickly reached for his weapon on the bed. Fortunately, a familiar voice reached him before he could.
"Gang Leader, it's Thirteen."
Seeing that it was his trusted thirteenth adopted son, he stopped his hand from throwing the weapon and spoke in a cold voice.
"If you don't have a good reason for this, I'll gouge out one of your eyes."
"Forgive me, Gang Leader. I failed my mission and was unable to kill Shen Lang's family."
Tian Heng's eyes turned chilling. His trusted subordinate couldn't handle such a small task?
"Jin Zhong from the Count's Estate personally brought a dozen warriors, protected Shen Lang's family, and took them away, saying they were to attend a wedding at the estate."
Instantly, Tian Heng shot up, his expression changing drastically. The woman in his arms, startled by his sudden movement, grabbed his chest and shoulder with her sharp nails, leaving small scratches. Feeling the sting of pain, Tian Heng kicked her away.
"Ah!"
The woman let out a wretched cry, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She called out to him pitifully.
"My lord."
"Get out!"
In an instant, the woman scrambled out of the room as if fleeing for her life.
Thirteen asked.
"Gang Leader, who from the Count's Estate is getting married? Is the young master taking a concubine, perhaps? Surely Shen Lang hasn't formed a connection with the heir of the Count's Estate? If so, wouldn't that be a case of two renowned fools joining forces?"
"You think Shen Lang is a fool?"
Thirteen thought for a moment, then shook his head decisively.
"The wedding at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is for the Count's most precious daughter, Jin Mulan."
Hearing this, Thirteen's face paled, and he shook his head.
"It can't be... Forgive me. For a moment, I entertained an absurd thought."
"But sometimes, the impossible happens in this world."
"No one knows what kind of person Shen Lang is better than we do. He's an ignorant country bumpkin from a dirt-poor family. In contrast, Lady Jin, the so-called goddess of the Count's Estate, is the most noble lady in Xuanwu City, lacking nothing in martial arts, strategy, looks, or figure. Even if Shen Lang was blessed by the heavens with incredible luck, they are people who could never be matched. Even a great merchant family like the Xu Clan found Shen Lang beneath them. How could the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, which is so far above us, possibly take him as a son-in-law?"
Tian Heng nodded as well. No matter how imaginative one was, no one would link Shen Lang with Lady Jin Mulan. The difference in their status was as vast as the heavens and the earth. Even if something extraordinary happened, it couldn't possibly connect those two. And yet, Jin Zhong from the Count's Estate had taken Shen Lang's family to attend the wedding? It was bizarre, no matter how he thought about it. Pacing around the room in this unexpected situation, Tian Heng's eyes were filled with anxiety.
"This won't do. I have to go to the city and see for myself."
***
More than an hour later, the influential figures of Xuanwu City, including Tian Heng of the Black Clothes Gang, Patriarch Xu, and Patriarch Lin, had gathered in one place. After hearing Tian Heng's account, the two wealthy patriarchs said in unison.
"That's absurd!"
As Patriarch Xu expressed his utter disbelief, Tian Heng continued.
"I heard there was an incident yesterday where the Count's cavalry clashed with someone. And the timing of that incident matches when Shen Lang left the Golden Brocade Pavilion. It seems he naturally entered the Count's Estate after that. And today, along with the news of the lady's wedding, Jin Zhong himself appeared and took Shen Lang's family to the estate."
"No matter how I think about it, the only plausible scenario is that of two fools finding common ground and joining forces. If Shen Lang allied himself with the heir of the Count's Estate, this whole affair would make some sense. But to be linked with Lady Jin Mulan? Is that even possible? Besides, it hasn't been long since Shen Lang was kicked out of our family. A cast-off son-in-law is someone even a village widow would refuse to marry. What noble lady from a centuries-old family would marry him?"
To Patriarch Xu's question filled with doubt, Lin Mo, the owner of the Golden Brocade Pavilion, replied.
"Brother Xu, Shen Lang is no fool. If he were truly a fool, he couldn't have created the formula for the golden-yellow dye."
"No, on the contrary, new dye formulas are more likely to be created by foolish and stubborn people. If he also had a stroke of heaven-sent luck, he too could have invented something new."
At Xu Guangyun's words, Lin Mo thought that Shen Lang, who had figured out and created the new dye formula, was by no means a foolish person.
"The most important thing is that when I kicked Shen Lang out, I framed him for stealing property and harassing a maid. Taking in a man with such a bad reputation as a son-in-law would be a disgrace to the Count's Estate, wouldn't it?"
Hearing this, all three men felt a definite sense of relief. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate valued its honor more than any other family or faction. Amidst this, Tian Heng asked Xu Guangyun.
"In that case, Patriarch Xu, the Count suddenly sent out invitations today. Did you hear who the groom is?"
"No, I did not. But it certainly won't be Shen Lang. The sun would rise in the west before he could be the groom."
At this, Lin Mo, who had been silent, shared his thoughts.
"Even if Shen Lang isn't the son-in-law, it would be best to be certain. How about we send someone to the Count's Estate to attend the wedding tonight?"
Suddenly, the three men looked at each other. None of them had received an invitation to the wedding at the Count's Estate that night. Although the three gathered here were all influential figures in Xuanwu City, when examined closely, two were merchants, and one was an underworld boss.
Then, Tian Heng suddenly spoke.
"I will attend the wedding."
He wouldn't be thrown out for attending the Count's wedding without an invitation. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate wasn't that harsh. However, it required the courage to brazenly push his way in.
"Gang Leader Tian, thank you. The Golden Brocade Pavilion will prepare the congratulatory gift."
"The Count of Xuanwu is the master of this city. Even if we weren't attending the wedding, we would have had to prepare a generous gift anyway, would we not? The Xu Clan has plenty of money."
"Then it's settled. You two, please prepare the gifts as quickly as possible. I will depart for the Count's Estate immediately."
"Then I'll go prepare it right away."
Returning to the Golden Brocade Pavilion, Lin Mo went to his treasury, filled with his cherished treasures, and selected some rare items. He recalled his last meeting with Shen Lang. The image and the feeling were so vivid that a chill ran through his body and mind. In the end, his last encounter with Shen Lang had not been pleasant.
He regretted saying things he didn't have to, like how an ant like him was acting above his station, and who else but him deserved to die. If, by some chance, Shen Lang truly became the son-in-law of the Count's Estate, not only he but his entire family would be in great peril. All he could do was pray to the heavens that such a thing would not happen.
A little over an hour later, they each presented their prepared gifts. Although Tian Heng had not received an invitation, he headed for the Count's Estate with a confident face, as always. In times like these, he believed one had to be thick-skinned.
'Please don't let it be Shen Lang, please don't let it be Shen Lang!'
And at that very moment, Shen Lang's ex-wife, now Zhang Jin's fiancée, Xu Qianqian, made her appearance at the Count's wedding. Her fiancé, Zhang Jin, was the son of the Prefect and held the post of Xuanwu City's garrison commander, so she too had received an invitation from the Count's Estate.
"Young Master Zhang, this wedding at the Count's Estate seems so sudden. Do you happen to know who the groom marrying Jin Mulan tonight is? Which powerful and noble family could he be from? I'm curious as to what kind of outstanding man could win Jin Mulan as his wife."