Chapter 273

The cook was a widow whom Wu Changfeng had rescued.

After her husband’s death, she had nearly been violated by her younger brother-in-law. She had barely managed to escape and gone to her mother-in-law to seek justice, only for her brother-in-law to turn the accusation back on her, claiming that she had seduced him.

Naturally, her mother-in-law took her son’s side. She accused the widow of being immoral and intended to drown her in a pond as punishment.

By coincidence, Wu Changfeng had passed by. He uncovered the truth and restored her good name.

He had also helped her leave her husband’s family and found her a place as a cook in the prefectural governor’s residence, giving her somewhere to live.

Now that she had a chance to repay Wu Changfeng, she was naturally willing. She hurriedly blinked in agreement.

Qi Yanzhou had anticipated her answer and released the cook’s pressure points.

After cautiously looking around, the cook asked, “What do you need me to do, Young Master?”

Qi Yanzhou glanced at the soldier lying on the floor. “Make him disappear without a trace. Can you do it?”

“I can!”

“Tell me how.”

“Kill him, cook him, and feed him to the wild dogs.”

The cook’s ancestral home was in Linzhou, where her family had made a living slaughtering cattle and sheep.

Once, when a neighboring kingdom invaded and breached the city, countless people were killed. Her entire family died, but she survived by hiding in the kitchen.

Later, she fled to Ningzhou City. Before she married, she had made a living slaughtering pigs.

She had witnessed bloody massacres and knew how to use a knife. Killing a corrupt soldier was no difficult task for her.

After hearing her explanation, Qi Yanzhou nodded. “I’ll leave him to you. I’m going to see Lord Wu and help him out of his predicament.”

With that, he stripped the soldier of his clothes, then used a medicinal solution to soften the disguise paste on his face.

While the cook dealt with the soldier, he disguised himself as the man.

Carrying the food box containing the late-night meal, he left for the study.

He made it there without encountering any obstacles.

When he reached the study, however, the soldiers on guard stopped him.

As one of them inspected the food box, he asked, “What took you so long today?”

Qi Yanzhou had heard the soldier grumbling earlier, so he imitated the man’s voice and replied, “I had to use the latrine.”

His voice was only about eighty percent similar, but it did not arouse any suspicion.

“Lazy mule. Always full of piss and shit!”

After teasing him, the guard closed the lid of the food box. “Go on in. You took so long that the man inside is probably throwing another fit.”

Qi Yanzhou did not reply. He pushed open the door and entered.

He had investigated the situation beforehand. Because Wu Changfeng was under surveillance, the door could not be closed while he ate his late-night meal.

However, the soldier who delivered the food had to remain inside until Wu Changfeng finished eating before he could collect the dishes and leave.

That gave Qi Yanzhou the perfect opportunity to make contact with Wu Changfeng.

The moment Qi Yanzhou placed the food box on the desk, Wu Changfeng began cursing him.

“Did a dog eat your legs? Why are you an entire incense stick late today?”

Normally, the soldiers simply let him curse them and ignored him.

Qi Yanzhou did the same. But as he arranged the late-night meal, he dipped a finger in the tea and wrote a name.

Qi Yanzhou.

After making sure Wu Changfeng had seen it, he “accidentally” knocked over the teacup, covering the three forceful characters.

Wu Changfeng exploded.

“Are you a pig? You can’t even put down a bowl without knocking over a cup! You’re unbelievably stupid. Get behind me and knead my shoulders!”

Inside, he was weeping tears of gratitude.

Young Master Qi, please don’t blame me.

I don’t want to curse you so harshly either, but the more I yell, the more annoyed the guards become with me, and the less they pay attention.

Only when they stop watching me can I communicate with you!

Qi Yanzhou understood the purpose behind Wu Changfeng’s abuse. He went behind him and crouched down, beginning to massage his shoulders.

“Lord Wu, I’m one of Qi Yanzhou’s men. My master sent me to meet you. From here on, we’ll keep this brief and discuss only what matters.”

Wu Changfeng snorted. “Do your job properly, or you’ll suffer for it!”

Although he was somewhat greedy for money, the money he accepted came from the bribes offered by officials.

To the common people, he was not exactly a model magistrate, but he was still a decent official.

All he wanted was to guard his own little corner of the world and live out the rest of his life in peace.

He did not want Ningzhou City to be ruined by that fool, Su Chengzong!

Wu Changfeng was an intelligent man. Whenever Qi Yanzhou asked him a question, he cleverly answered through his loud, abusive tirades.

Whenever he needed to say something directly, he did so in a voice only the two of them could hear.

After a quarter of an hour, Qi Yanzhou had obtained useful information, along with Wu Changfeng’s two thousand personal troops.

Wu Changfeng was finally able to send out the information and soldiers. He was so relieved that he nearly burst into tears.

“If possible, seize Su Chengzong and his men in secret. Do your best to spare the people unnecessary suffering. Wu Changfeng offers his thanks in advance.”

After whispering this, he raised his teacup as though it were a wine cup and drained it in one gulp.

Qi Yanzhou assured him, “My master cares deeply for the people. Lord Wu, you may rest easy.”

“Rest easy, rest easy. Of course I’m at ease.”

After saying that, he began cursing again.

“I only said a few words to you, and you want to strangle me? Are you out of your mind?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he hurled the unfinished bowl of pork-bone soup at Qi Yanzhou’s robes.

“Useless thing! Clean it up and get out! Go, go, go!”

Qi Yanzhou was not injured. His clothes were merely soaked with soup, and the bowl had shattered on the floor.

As he gathered up the broken pieces, Wu Changfeng continued cursing, still unsatisfied.

“You wretched omen of bad luck! The more I look at you, the more irritated I get. Don’t let me see you again for the next few days!”

Qi Yanzhou cleaned up the broken bowl, picked up the food box, and left.

When he reached the door, all the guards burst out laughing.

The same guard who had inspected the food box earlier said, “Don’t come back for the next few days. I can’t afford to take responsibility for making Lord Wu angry.”

As he spoke, he even disdainfully covered his nose with his hand.

It was as though Qi Yanzhou had been splashed with sewage instead of soup.

That was precisely the effect Qi Yanzhou had wanted Wu Changfeng to create.

Even if the man he had disguised himself as disappeared, no one would notice.

“Understood,” he replied.

Then he carried the food box back to the kitchen.

The cook had already dealt with the soldier. A pot of broth made from chopped bones was simmering over the fire.

When she saw Qi Yanzhou, she hurriedly asked, “Is Lord Wu all right?”

“Other than lacking his freedom, Lord Wu is fine.”

“Nothing will happen to him, will it?”

“No. Just wait patiently. The crisis will be resolved soon.”

“All right. Thank you, Young Master.”

The cook fell to her knees and knocked her head hard against the floor in front of Qi Yanzhou.

“Get up. Be careful while you work, and don’t let anyone notice anything unusual. I’m leaving.”

“Safe travels, Young Master.”

Wearing the guard’s face, Qi Yanzhou left the prefectural governor’s residence without encountering any obstacles.

Whenever anyone asked why he was going out so late, he simply said that Wu Changfeng did not want to see him, so he was temporarily keeping out of sight to avoid upsetting him and affecting the general’s grand plans.

No one suspected anything. No one cared whether it was true.

Once the general achieved his ambitions, having one less person claim credit was hardly a bad thing.

Not long after Qi Yanzhou left the prefectural governor’s residence, the cook carried two buckets of bone broth out through the back door and fed it to the wild dogs.

***

Wanfu Temple.

The central island in the lake. The main hall.

Su Chengzong sat in the seat of honor and had Su Xuerong recount everything that had happened between her and Sun Chu in meticulous detail.

Although he knew that Sun Chu had done nothing wrong by saving her, he was seized by a fury that something belonging to him had been touched by another man.

“Why did it have to be Sun Chu?”

If it had been anyone else, he could have killed the man outright.

Su Xuerong told Su Chengzong only the truth, without exaggeration. She merely concealed her plan to kill him.

She had long known how vicious the rumors circulating through the streets could be.

So she pinched her own thigh, making her eyes glisten with tears and giving herself an unbearably pitiful appearance.

“Father, I don’t want the rumors to affect your grand plans. I’m willing to marry Master Sun.”

With that, she knelt on the floor and pressed her forehead to the ground.

“Please, Father, grant me this!”

Su Xuerong was a plaything General Su Chengzong had raised from childhood. He had never considered marrying her off.

After all, she was frail and would not live for many years. It was just as well to keep her at home to amuse him.

“Rong’er, don’t pay attention to those rumors. Father will resolve everything soon.”

Su Xuerong had already guessed that would be his answer.

She straightened up, ignoring the chill of the floor, and slumped down onto it. Tears the size of beans rolled down her cheeks.

“Father, I have ears and a head on my shoulders. I have a heart too. I can’t simply refuse to hear, think about, or be hurt by what people say.”

Her choked voice tore at Su Chengzong’s heart.

“Rong’er, stop crying. Your eyes will hurt if they swell.”

The remark made Su Xuerong feel sick.

Su Chengzong wasn’t concerned about her. He was worried that once her eyes became swollen from crying, she would no longer resemble Madam Xu!

She took out a handkerchief, dabbed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and forced out a smile uglier than crying.

“Father, the rumors have spread throughout the city. They can no longer be suppressed. If you don’t want people pointing and whispering about me every time I go out, then let Master Sun marry me.”

“I know he isn’t a good man, and I also know he prefers men. But Father needs him to provide the money for your grand plans, and he isn’t an honest man. I’m willing to keep an eye on him for you.”

“Everyone knows that I’m your favorite daughter. Given the current situation, I’m more suitable than my half-sister to marry Master Sun. It would also show how much you value him.”

Su Xuerong’s words were logical and well-reasoned, but Su Chengzong didn’t take in a single one of them.

He let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with disdain.

“He’s nothing but a lowly merchant. The fact that he can become my son-in-law is a blessing his ancestors must have prayed for. Whichever of my children I marry to him will be his good fortune!”

Su Xuerong rolled her eyes inwardly.

“Father, that isn’t quite right. In times of turmoil, money is the most important thing. If you don’t treat Master Sun well, there will be plenty of people willing to do so.”

Her words struck the arrogant Su Chengzong like a heavy blow, bringing him back to reality.

He had indeed looked down on Sun Chu too much.

Even if he planned to discard Sun Chu once he had served his purpose, he would have to wait until Sun Chu had fathered a child bearing the Su family bloodline!

He helped Su Xuerong up from the floor.

“Rong’er, you have a heart condition and cannot bear Sun Chu a child. Your half-sister would be more suitable to marry him.”

“Then let my half-sister and me marry him together. Father wouldn’t want me to die, would you?”

Though Su Xuerong phrased it as a question, her gaze was resolute.

Her expression caused Su Chengzong to lose focus for a moment, as though he were seeing Madam Xu—the woman he had loved but could never have.

Without thinking, he answered, “All right. We’ll do as you say.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized what nonsense he had just agreed to.

“Rong’er…”

Su Xuerong immediately seized his arm and shook it coquettishly, stopping him before he could take back his words.

“Father, I don’t want to leave you either, so I’ve thought of a wonderful idea.”

“What idea?”

“Father, with our family’s status, we can simply take in a husband for me. That way, not only will Master Sun remain under your watch, but I’ll also be able to stay by your side and continue to honor you!”

At once, Su Chengzong’s eyes lit up.

“Rong’er, that’s an excellent idea!”

A smile touched Su Xuerong’s brows and eyes. “It is my honor to help ease Father’s burdens.”

Then she reminded him, “Father, the matter of taking Master Sun as my husband should be settled as soon as possible. It would be best if everything were decided within three to five days.”

Su Chengzong frowned. “That soon?”

“The rumors are at their height right now, which makes this the perfect time for the wedding. It will also prevent complications from arising later.”

“But three to five days is far too short. There won’t even be enough time to prepare the wedding. How can I marry you off so carelessly?”

“Father, Ningzhou City is entirely under your control, so arranging everything will be easy. No matter how soon the wedding is held, there will still be enough time. Besides, you can use the occasion of your daughter’s wedding to eliminate your political enemies.”

Su Xuerong’s words struck another chord in Su Chengzong’s heart.

“Let Father think it over. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”

With that, he rose to his feet. “It’s late. Get some rest. We’ll return home in the morning.”

“Your daughter obeys. I respectfully see you off, Father!”

After leaving Wanfu Temple, Su Chengzong did not do as he had said and give the matter any thought.

Instead, he went straight to the Thousand Gold Gambling House.

It was not yet curfew, so there were still quite a few customers inside.

When everyone saw Su Chengzong enter with soldiers, they were instantly terrified.

Even the dancers on the stage stopped moving, fear appearing on their faces.

The rumors about Sun Chu and Su Xuerong had spread everywhere.

Su Chengzong had come with troops, so surely he was here to demand justice for his daughter!

The manager hurried forward, an ingratiating smile plastered across his face.

“General Su, what an honor! Please, come in. The owner will be here shortly. Would you like to try your luck downstairs, or would you prefer to sit in a private room?”

“A private room.”

“Of course. Please follow me.”

Su Chengzong had his personal guards remain outside the gambling house and brought two trusted aides upstairs with him.

When he reached the second floor, he happened to run into Sun Chu, who was coming down from the fourth.

“Father-in-law, you’ve come to see me so late at night. Is something urgent?” Sun Chu asked.

“Come into the private room.”

“Certainly. This way, Father-in-law.”

The manager did not follow them. “Master, I’ll go prepare the tea.”

Sun Chu gave a brief acknowledgment. “Prepare the finest tea, and bring some pastries as well.”

“Yes, Master.”

When they reached the private room, Su Chengzong told his trusted aides to wait outside.

The moment they entered, he kicked Sun Chu to the floor.

“Who ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‍gave you the nerve to take liberties with my daughter?”

Sun Chu had shifted aside when Su Chengzong raised his foot, so he was not injured.

He rose from the floor and looked at Su Chengzong without the slightest trace of fear or submission.

“Your son-in-law knew that you regard Miss Su as the apple of your eye. I thought you would value her life even more, so after much hesitation, I still rescued her when she was hanging by a thread.

“I never imagined that you would care more about her reputation. I was wrong. I sincerely apologize and ask for your forgiveness. I couldn’t stand by and watch Miss Su die. If you believe I did wrong, I admit my fault.”

With that, he bowed deeply to Su Chengzong.

“If I encounter Miss Su having another attack in the future, I’ll stand by and watch her die. Please rest assured, Father-in-law.”

Su Chengzong was speechless.

How was this different from what he had expected?

Shouldn’t Sun Chu have offered compensation and proposed marrying Rong’er?

For a moment, he found himself in an awkward position. He gave a light cough to ease the embarrassment.

“Sun Chu, I’m not saying that rescuing Rong’er was wrong. I’m saying you should have paid attention to the circumstances. Of course, Rong’er’s life is more important than her reputation!”

Sun Chu straightened. “So I misunderstood you. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Then he asked, “Father-in-law came because of the rumors about me and Miss Su, didn’t he?”

Su Chengzong nodded. “Sit down. We’ll talk.”

After Sun Chu took a seat across from him, he spoke first.

“Father-in-law, I heard about the rumors this afternoon. The reason I didn’t go to the Su residence was that I didn’t believe I had done anything wrong. I hope you can forgive me.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. It’s fine.”

Just as Su Chengzong finished speaking, someone knocked on the door of the private room.

“General Su, Master, I’ve brought the tea and pastries.”

“Come in.”

After pouring tea for the two men, the steward tactfully left the private room.

Su Chengzong continued the subject they had been discussing.

“Sun Chu, Rong’er is being spoken of very badly now. As a man, you must take responsibility.”

“Father-in-law, what would you have me do?”

“Now, the only way to minimize the damage to her reputation is for you to marry Rong’er as soon as possible.”

Sun Chu had not expected Su Xuerong to persuade Su Chengzong so quickly.

He used his supposed preference for men as an excuse to refuse for a while, but under Su Chengzong’s forceful insistence, he eventually agreed to marry Su Xuerong as his principal wife.

As for the concubine-born son and daughter they had discussed earlier, he would take them into his household as well.

It was all an act anyway, so he did not care.

But Su Chengzong’s next words nearly made him spit out the tea he had just drunk.

“What? You want me to marry into your family?”

Although the marriage was fake, he still refused to become a live-in son-in-law!

Besides, staying in the Su residence would make it difficult for him to escape.

Su Chengzong slammed his palm onto the table, causing some tea to splash from the cups.

“What? Marrying into the General’s residence would be beneath you?”

“General Su, this has nothing to do with whether I’d be mistreated. This is a matter of a man’s dignity. I refuse to marry into your family.”

Su Chengzong drew the saber from his waist and held it against the bandaged part of Sun Chu’s neck.

“If you refuse, you die.”

“My head may be severed and my blood may flow, but I will not surrender my pride. General Su, go ahead and strike.”

Sun Chu had already figured it out. The idea of his marrying into the Su family had most likely come from Su Xuerong.

She had done so to get Su Chengzong to agree to the marriage.

As long as Su Chengzong agreed and came to propose the arrangement, even if Sun Chu refused to marry into the family, the wedding could still go ahead!

Seeing Sun Chu’s resolute determination to die, Su Chengzong was so furious that the hand holding the saber began to tremble.

But he could not kill Sun Chu, so he lowered the weapon.

“How about this? You two will hold the wedding ceremony at the Su residence. Once the ceremony is complete, you may leave. Rong’er is in poor health, so after the marriage, she will spend more time at the Su residence.”

The implication was clear: the wedding was merely for show, intended to silence the gossip among the people.

“Very well. I’ll do as you say, Father-in-law.”

“The betrothal gifts will be sent in three days, and the wedding will take place in five. Go and purchase a large residence and have it decorated. Omit as much of the needless ceremony as possible. I’ll arrange whatever cannot be omitted. You will pay for it. Just follow orders.”

Sun Chu agreed readily. “All right.”

The two men discussed a few more details concerning the wedding, and Sun Chu cooperated with everything.

He even took out ten thousand taels in banknotes to purchase the items needed for the ceremony.

As a result, Su Chengzong left in an excellent mood.

The next morning, Ye Chutang saw the letter Qi Yanzhou had sent.

“Sun Chu is making quite a sacrifice. If we successfully bring down Su Chengzong, give him one share of the credit. I’ve agreed to examine Su Xuerong. Let Azhou know.”

Nan Xiao respectfully acknowledged her. “Yes, Madam.”

“The letter says the wedding is in five days. One day has already passed, so that leaves four. We’ll set out tomorrow and can reach Ningzhou City the day after next. When will General Ma’s army arrive?”

“Madam, General Ma has not sent word yet. We should have news by tonight at the latest.”

“All right. Send Azhou a reply first.”

After breakfast, Ye Chutang took everyone up the mountain to gather medicinal herbs.

Autumn had arrived, and as long as they avoided going out at midday, the heat was bearable.

They had nothing else to do, so they might as well do something worthwhile.

After finishing the letter, Nan Xiao did not send it immediately. He wanted to wait for Ma Weiyuan’s message so he could send both letters together.

But he waited until nightfall and still received no word.

Growing anxious, he used his visit to see “Qi Yanzhou” as an opportunity to discuss the matter with Ye Chutang.

“Madam, I’m afraid General Ma’s army won’t be able to arrive in time for Master Sun’s wedding. What should we do?”

Ye Chutang shrugged. “I don’t have an army. Asking me won’t help.”

With that, she patted Nan Xiao on the shoulder.

“You need to have confidence in your master. Even without Ma Weiyuan, it will only be more troublesome to deal with Su Chengzong—not impossible.”

Nan Xiao naturally had complete faith in Qi Yanzhou. He simply hoped everything could be resolved more smoothly.

Seeing that Nan Xiao’s brows had drawn together into a deep frown, Ye Chutang offered him a word of reassurance.

“With the ‘Ghost Thief’ there, Azhou won’t come to any harm.”

Those words were like a calming pill. Nan Xiao’s anxiety immediately eased.

“I’ll go reply to my master at once.”

He left the village, only to return a short while later with a triumphant smile, a freshly delivered letter in his hand.

It had been sent urgently by Ma Weiyuan.

“Madam, General Ma will first bring three thousand soldiers as an advance force. The remaining ten thousand troops are moving secretly, and because of their numbers, they’ll be much slower. At the earliest, they won’t arrive until midnight on the day of the wedding.”

“With Azhou’s ability, holding Su Chengzong off with several thousand elite soldiers until the reinforcements arrive won’t be difficult.”

Nan Xiao thought so too. “I’ll send my master a reply immediately.”

Ningzhou City was under martial law, with a curfew in effect.

By the time Qi Yanzhou received the message Nan Xiao sent, it was already after breakfast the next day.

After reading the letter, he finally put his mind at ease. He then refined the arrangements for the wedding day according to the number of troops available.

Ever since the betrothal date and wedding date had been confirmed, Sun Chu had been so busy that his feet barely touched the ground.

When he learned that Ye Chutang had awarded him one share of the credit, he sighed weakly.

“This marriage is worth it after all!”

“Since it’s worth it, get up and go take care of the Three Letters and Six Ceremonies.”

“All right, all right. I’m going to prepare the betrothal gifts.”

Sun Chu prepared sixty-four bridal gift chests, the highest possible ceremonial standard.

On the day he brought the betrothal gifts to the Su residence, Su Chengzong was so delighted that he could hardly close his mouth.

Although he would have to prepare a hundred and twenty-eight chests of dowry in return for Su Xuerong, he considered the dowry nothing more than a formality. Before long, it would all return to his hands anyway.

That night, Ma Weiyuan finally arrived outside Ningzhou City with three thousand elite soldiers after traveling day and night.

As soon as Qi Yanzhou received the news, he went to meet him.

The two men exchanged no pleasantries. They immediately began discussing the details of capturing Su Chengzong and his allies.

When they had finished, Qi Yanzhou gave Ma Weiyuan a deep bow.

“General Ma, you and your men traveled day and night to come to our aid. I, Qi Yanzhou, am deeply grateful.”

Ma Weiyuan helped him up and struck him firmly on the shoulder.

“You saved my life. There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Once this is done, just give my brothers a little compensation for their hard work.”

Qi Yanzhou had already mentioned the matter of payment when he asked Ma Weiyuan for help.

“Don’t worry. The reward money will satisfy the soldiers.”

Ma Weiyuan laughed. “I trust Young Master Qi completely. Shall we drink until dawn tonight?”