The next afternoon, under Zhuang Yue’s guidance, Lu Yan and Shen Zhen were taken to one of Wulipu Neighborhood’s residence called Luyuan. As the gates where slowly thrown open, Shen Zhen felt her ears buzzing. She had been born in the lap of luxury. But there were limits to everything! Or so she had thought before she had seen Luyuan.
The garden was filled with all sorts of trees and plants. At first sight, their arrangement might have appeared chaotic to the eye of lay people. But connoisseurs would know that whatever the period of the year, whether spring, summer, fall or winter, this was an ever-blooming garden. There were flowers everywhere. Narcissus. Jasmine. Chrysanthemums. Peonies. Scarlet sages. Trees stood proudly, unwavering and solemn. Tall pines, hundreds of years old. Luxuriant Chinese banana trees. Odorous cinnamon. It was a fairy kingdom.
The long, winding path that led to the main building, was elegant under the shade of the trees and soothed one’s soul. Anyone would have wished to be welcomed by such peace after a hard day of labor. From the main building’s porch, a waterside pavilion, the size of a boat, dominating a jade-colored river, could be seen. It was surrounded by shrubs, home to gleefully chirping birds. There was no more beautiful scenery than the one Luyuan offered. In front of the main courtyard, a hot spring pond gurgled with joy. In winter, it transformed into a white, misty fairyland.
Of course, this residence did not cost any less than the great estates of Tongyi Lane, at the foot of the Imperial City in Chang’an. Lu Yan did not even blink an eye when he bought it, however. To him, the residence was nothing but a tool. If one wished to get close to the rich and powerful of Yangzhou, one had to become their neighbor after all.
The news that Luyuan had changed owners spread through Yangzhou quicker than the plague.
***
Three days later, in a study of Luyuan.
Yang Zong handed a seated Lu Yan a letter. Lu Yan scanned it with his cold eyes, his index finger never stopping to tap against the table.
To support his unannounced visit to Yangzhou, thirty soldiers had been sent throughout the city. Half of them were disguised as employees of the Wei family and the other half hid under the guise of travellers visiting the city’s inns, wine and tea shops, pawnshops, restaurant, hanging out with drunkards in the streets, flirting with girls at market stalls. However, whatever methods these well-trained soldiers used, they could not swindle the common people in explaining the mystery surrounding Yangzhou’s taxation law. The innkeeper and her daughter had been no exception to the general silence.
In the end, it was Yang Zong who had uncovered the secret. Had a murder not happened two days ago, they might never have found the main perpetrator of the crimes who also was the mastermind behind Yangzhou’s slow demise.
A man named Miao Kang, a nobody, really, had been killed on the outskirts of Yangzhou. The Miao family had been making a living by selling rice. The business had flourished and they had lived well. However, from the moment Zhao Chong had been transferred to Yangzhou as governor, their little commerce had crumbled. Zhao Chong had quickly exhibited his great appetite. He first kicked out all the officials that had not pleased him, especially changing as many magistrates as he could.
Then, his greasy paws went to grab all the rice mills they could reach. One would have thought that a few mills would not bring much of a profit to a very greedy, corrupt official. Well, one would have been wrong. All people needed to grind brown rice into white rice for it to be edible. Thus, the entire city of Yangzhou would have no choice but to dearly pay to have its rice processed! This sort of market monopoly was tantamount to coercing people into buying products.
In the long run, venerable Governor Zhao not only made an outrageous profit but also forced other mill owners to close shop. That is exactly what had happened to the Miao family. Had they not put up a fight, small, inconsequential insects that they were, their head-of-house might have kept his life.
After a long while, Lu Yan folded the letter and passed its corner through the flame of a candle. In an instant, it was reduced to ashes. Raising his hand, he massaged his eyebrows.
“Apart from this, have you found any shops for rent?”
Yang Zong retrieved a map of Yangzhou from under his arm.
“According to this subordinate’s investigation, all the shops found in an area spanning between the Little Market Bridge and the Peace and Tranquility Bridge are under Governor Zhao’s control. However, it is his wife’s family that operates them, the Gao Household.”
Staring at the map, Lu Yan sneered in derision. Knowing a governor’s income, the wealth needed to buy such an amount of shops could not have been accumulated in two lifetimes, let alone in a few months.
It took Lu Yan a long time to decide on the route to take.
“Tomorrow morning, you will dress as a steward and go to the Gao family to rent five shops in the name of Wei Xian.”
If one wished to get one’s hands on Zhao Chong, one had to start with the Gao family. Catch the master through the servant.
“This subordinate understands.”
Yang Zong made a cupped-fist salute before discreetly stepping out.
The evening sky was starting to darken when Lu Yan decided to finally leave the office. As the sun settled on the horizon, the thick layers of white clouds slowly dissipated, letting the boundless night sky conquer the firmament. Lu Yan crossed a small, arched bridge and returned to the main courtyard — Chunxi Hall.
He found Shen Zhen seated at a table, writing conscientiously. Feeling herself observed, she lifted her head and caught a glimpse of solemn, upright Lu Yan closing the door behind himself. Her eyes widened in surprise. Lu Yan had been busy day and night since they had moved to Luyuan. Thus, they had not had the possibility to be much in contact.
She had awoken very early yesterday morning. Hence, she had decided to sit in the yard for a while, waiting to see the first rays of sun. Since Lu Yan’s study had been right by Chunxi Hall, she had witnessed Yang Zong and several other subordinates of Lu Yan going in and out. Dawn had not yet come at that time. It had still been dark outside which implied that Lu Yan not had the chance to rest for a whole night.
At noon, she had wanted to call him to partake in a meal. But as she had stepped into the office, she had seen him lying on the table, fast asleep, heavy, black bags under his eyes.
Thinking back to their time in Chang’an, Shen Zhen had realized something. Although she was aware the Supreme Court overworked him, she had never had the chance to see the extent of his fatigue since he only occasionally visited Chengyuan. As a result, she had not dared approach his sleeping form, fearing she would be encroaching on his precious rest. She had simply returned back to her work, waiting for him to wake up by himself.
As he walked into Chunxi Hall that evening, Lu Yan dropped on a couch, closing his eyes in exhaustion. Shen Zhen hurriedly walked towards Lu Yan to walk, asking in a tentative voice.
“Does Your Lordship wish to eat?”
Lu Yan rubbed at his temples, thinking he should really eat something. He didn’t remember the last time he had had a meal. He made a guttural sound of agreement. At once, Shen Zhen rushed out. Coming back, she carried a bowl of soup and some rice in. Lu Yan took the bowl, sipping its contents with suspicion and discovering them to be mutton and lotus seed soup. He raised a surprised eyebrow, examining Shen Zhen from between his eyelashes.
“You made this?”
Shen Zhen simply nodded.
“Last time, I saw Lord Lu frown. I assumed the taste might not have been pleasing, therefore I added ginger to remove the lingering aroma of mutton meat. What does Your Lordship think of it now?”
Lu Yan chuckled lightly as their eyes met. She was cleverer than he expected.
Lu Yan had learned early on that there was nothing like a free meal in this world. Shen Zhen was not diligent because she cared for him. She wished to please him so he took her to see Shen Hong. It was the thought of her younger brother that was guiding her every act. He set the bowl aside.
“I have promised I would take you to see your brother. However, so many things have come up that you will have to wait a little longer.”
Shen Zhen was taken aback at her intentions being uncovered with such ease. Her face blushed in consternation. But she hoped she still knew when to advance and when to retreat. Having been seen through, Shen Zhen would naturally not be brazen enough to lie to an official of the Supreme Court. She obediently nodded her head.
“Your Lordship has been so very busy. It is a great honor that he simply remembers. I am most grateful.”
Seeing her honestly admit the intentions behind her small, kind attentions, Lu Yan washed that unpleasant feeling he would have been hard-pressed to name down with a bowl of hot soup. At the very least, she did not push the grotesque further by trying to lie to his face.
Lu Yan had eaten and gone to refresh himself with a bath. When he came back, he happened to see Shen Zhen sitting at a table, her white fingers caressing the beads of an abacus. Taking place behind her, he leaned over her shoulder and examined the booklet she had been writing in. She was keeping accounts! By how neat the rows of small characters were, it was not difficult to guess Shen Zhen was not playing. Lu Yan had only mentioned bookkeeping once, and this, quite casually. He had expected Yang Zong to take care of everything pertaining to money, to be honest.
Shen Zhen felt his hot breath caressing the top of her head and raised her eyes, meeting his in turn.
“Is Your Lordship preparing to rest?”, she softly asked, ready to serve Lu Yan, if he wished.
Lu Yan, book in hand, moved a stool to sit by her side.
“How far along are we with the purchase of furniture?”
Shen Zhen lowered her head in embarrassment, not knowing which way the wind was blowing.
“I bought almost everything. We only lack charcoal and fire crates. But I ordered those this morning.”
In order to avoid suspicion, Shen Zhen had rushed to buy as much furniture as she could. The residence had to look inhabited. Hearing this, Lu Yan looked around, finally realizing the house had been most elegantly furnished. It looked completely different from the residence they had visited before buying.
Paintings, couches, tables, porcelain vases, screens, incense burners. Everything was luxurious and exquisite. Exactly the feeling Lu Yan wanted to project. Lavish was the word.
He looked down at her, suddenly feeling that the advantages of bringing her along substantially outweighed the disadvantages.
“There is no hurry”, he simply retorted.
Seeing as he had nothing more to add, Shen Zhen continued to write, immersed in her work and simply ignoring Lu Yan’s presence. He observed her serious expression. He had to admit it. The girls that came out of Marquis Yunyang’s estate were truly superior to their contemporaries. She had not even stepped a foot out of the boudoir and yet knew how to keep such precise accounts. Lu Heng’s generation should have taken Shen Zhen as a model.
Opening his book, he nonchalantly asked:
“When did you learn housekeeping?”
Since there were two people in the room, Lu Yan was obviously not talking to himself, unless he was completely insane, which Shen Zhen would not have written off as a possibility. Nonetheless, she stopped writing, though she would have preferred not to answer her master. She bit her lower lip, as if remembering something unpleasant.
“I started learning as soon as I had my coming-of-age ceremony”, she whispered in the smallest of voices.
Coming-of-age ceremony. Those words did not ring particularly agreeably to Lu Yan’s ears. He frowned, turned a page of his book, but did not read a word on it, suddenly recalling something.
The Shen family’s girls were renowned for their celestial beauty. Not one was unattractive. Not one lacked charms. People would jokingly say that as soon as one came of age, the Shen family had to start planning the renovation of the residence’s threshold. For the simple reason that it got trampled into cracks and tatters by the sheer number of men and their relatives who came to beg for the lady’s hand.
He remembered clearly now. It had been around the time he had been transferred to the Supreme Court. In fact, the first case he had tried had involved the Shen family. More precisely, Shen Zhen.
It had happened during the month of July. Count Chun’s only son, Tang Lu, had gone to Marquis Yunyang’s estate to ask for Shen Zhen’s hand in marriage. He had been rejected without a second thought. Since he had been unwilling to let the matter slide, that most brilliant young man had decided to sneak into the Shen Mansion during the darkest of the night. It had not been to recite poems and sing songs for the maiden’s enjoyment, obviously. An enraged horde of servants had welcomed him by trampling him underfoot, braking his limbs for him and dragging him to death’s door.
The Marquis Yunyang had been a most powerful man. Tang Lu, for his part, had been Count Chun’s only son, his heir. As Tang Lu had slipped into a coma, both the Shen and the Tang families had severely lost face, their households tearing each other apart.
At that time, though he had scorned Tang Lu and silently ridiculed his ridiculous actions, he had still judged Shen Zhen severely, albeit he had never publicly expressed his thoughts. Such a voluptuous beauty was, after all, the source of the evil that had befallen him and her.
Who would have ever imagined that, in less than two years from then, he himself would have a taste of such a troubling fruit.
However, though he had tasted the extent to which the woman could be alluring, seductive, delightful, he still knew not to overstep the invisible line society had drawn for them. Lu Yan was aware of how far one could go. This being said, he had to admit that this affair between Shen Zhen and him held a particular charm it was impossible to fight against.
Coming to such a conclusion, he lifted his head to observe Shen Zhen some more. The black hair set to advantage by a white robe. Curved brows, most picturesque. A small, pale face illuminated by a ray of moonlight, giving it the glow of a goddess’s skin. All about that woman ignited a man’s desire to discover every inch of her body, caress her soft, tender flesh … and in the process, pity her.
Such sultry thoughts was much like throwing a fiery torch into a haystack. They burned everything on their path. Lu Yan felt something stir in the midst of him. The scroll between his fingers could not be more boring. Grasping a pair of snowy wrists and pulling a lithe body into his embrace would be a much better use of his time …
