Deep within the Qiu family estate on Youyang Street.
As the weather turned cold, the koi in the pond grew increasingly sluggish. Only the white-feathered duck remained spirited, frolicking and splashing joyfully upon the green ripples.
The torn red paper notice lay in the center of the group, having been passed around and read repeatedly by everyone.
After a long silence, Lu Zican was the first to speak up. "What exactly is Fan Tong trying to achieve? It can’t be that his time is truly running out and he’s looking to accumulate some merit for his descendants before he kicks the bucket, can it?"
Beside him, Lin Fang reminded him quite seriously, "He married three wives in his early years, and after becoming the Commandery Governor, he took countless concubines. Yet, seven or eight years have passed without a single son or daughter. Heaven saw through the black blood in his veins long ago and has no intention of letting his lineage continue. Would such a man ever think of accumulating merit through good deeds?"
Such private matters had never been mentioned before, indicating that Lord Fan was quite sensitive about it and had kept it well-hidden. Yet, it had already been thoroughly uncovered by this Minister of the Grand Vessel, who had arrived in Jiugao less than three years ago.
Du Shaoheng glanced at the frail-looking Lord Lin and felt an inexplicable shiver. After a moment, he continued, "According to what Cao Jin said earlier, Fan Tong has long been prepared to flee. Perhaps he heard some rumors and knows his downfall is imminent. He might be trying to use this move to cover up his past actions, or he’s paving the way for his resignation and escape."
"But if he is already infected by the secret formula, shouldn't his own life be his most urgent concern? Even if the situation isn't that dire, Ding Miao won't let this final opportunity slip; he will surely drive him into a corner," Gao Quan spoke in a heavy voice, offering his judgment. "I still suspect Ding Miao is the one pulling the strings behind this."
"Since Ding Miao already has Fan Tong under his thumb, why doesn't he just act directly? Why go through all these twists and turns?"
"That is the brilliance of the person who wrote this notice." Qin Jiuye finally spoke, her voice tinged with an indescribable worry. "If the information were delivered as a command, no matter what the goal was, there would always be those who doubted or were unwilling. But he only says it’s a heavenly sacrifice for blessings and offers a small favor. No one will think twice; they’ll only think of joining the festivities and gaining a little profit."
It was just like when she used to sell that Rejuvenation Soup in the back alley of Shouqi Street.
Lu Zican, calculating the manpower available to both sides in the shadows, spoke up. "The manpower Fan Tong can mobilize in a short time is limited. He might have enough to deal with us, but it’s not enough to completely control the city. Even if he can trick everyone into coming, he can't control so many people at once. For us, this is an opportunity to turn the tables."
"Perhaps his intention is merely to gather the people of the city in one place for a short duration."
Xu Qiuchi’s voice rang out. Qin Jiuye turned to see him walking toward them, draped in a heavy fur cloak.
Having not seen him for half a month, he had thinned considerably, with shadows beneath his cheekbones. He looked less cynical and more serious than usual, though his tone remained the same the moment he addressed Qin Jiuye.
"Has my brother finally seen the light? He didn't come back himself but sent you instead. Could it be he's turned love into hate and can't wait for you to never return?"
Qin Jiuye laughed out of frustration and countered unceremoniously, "Aren't you back too? Could it be that after being dumped by Miss Jiang, you've lost all hope for the future and want to use this chance to martyr yourself and end it all?"
Xu Qiuchi fell silent. Seeing him bested, Zhou Li let out a rare chuckle. Beside him, Zhang Min scratched his head, his dark face flushing slightly.
"Earlier, we heard from Lin Fang that the Protector hadn't returned to Jiugao but stayed outside the city. We were quite anxious, feeling like we’d lost our backbone. Fortunately, Miss Qin is back, so we have someone to give us ideas."
Recalling the events of her return to Jiaozhou, Qin Jiuye wiped her brow, feeling the weight of the pressure.
"This was the result of my discussion with the Protector. Right now, everyone inside and outside the city is watching his movements. If he returns to the city abruptly, it will surely alert the enemy. It’s better to use his identity to fetch reinforcements while I return in his stead to investigate and buy time. After all, those people don't know who I am; even if they see me, they won't pay me any mind. It’s just that the journey was a bit harrowing."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, her expression turning fearful once more.
Seeing this, Gao Quan smiled and said, "Before Miss Qin went south to Yuzhou, she repeatedly exhorted me to stay alert for any new patients in the city. She even sent me the prescription for controlling the plague and explained everything in detail. I knew then that no matter how many hardships and dangers lay ahead, Miss Qin would surely rush back."
Qin Jiuye found this "flattery" from the group a bit hard to handle, but then she saw Xu Qiuchi clutching his chest with a mournful look.
"I also went through eighty-one tribulations to get back, yet you lot didn't show me this kind of face earlier."
Qin Jiuye knew he was intentionally trying to ease her embarrassment, but she truly wasn't in the mood for banter. She couldn't help but remind him, "You’ve taken Qiu Ling’s place. Once those people realize it, they won't let you off easily. Hiding and shrinking away isn't a solution. It’s better to be high-profile and draw their attention; it can serve as a diversion for us."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qiuchi narrowed his eyes, adopting the look of a haggling merchant.
"What's the benefit of making me the target? I see that Lord Fan has already gone mad. Losing a life is one thing, but I’d hate to end up missing an arm or a leg. What woman would ever fall for me then?"
He spoke jokingly, but Qin Jiuye took it to heart.
Jiang Xin’er was away, and Liu Caiwu had to move about the city and likely couldn't look after this side. If someone truly made a move against him, it could indeed end in tragedy.
It wasn't just Xu Qiuchi; everyone in this courtyard was the same. She knew they were facing a chess game from which they could hardly escape unscathed, yet she was greedy—she didn't want to lose a single person, nor did she want a single drop of blood to be shed in vain. She had experienced too many partings this year and did not want to bid farewell to friends and family in this cold winter.
Thinking of this, she looked at everyone in the courtyard.
"What we need to do is not a head-on confrontation. The aftershocks of the Emperor's Great Sacrifice have already spread. Various factions in the court are using this to make a fuss, demanding the Emperor investigate the matter thoroughly. The Protector used the investigation of the Qihechang incident to invite Prince Yu’an to Jiaozhou. Once the time is ripe, we can lead the tiger into the city. At that time, no matter how much Lord Fan swells with pride, he won't be able to stir up any trouble. The authorities will never dare to act rashly against Jiugao City based on mere rumors."
Those young officers were indeed the right-hand men who had followed Qiu Ling for years. As soon as she finished, they immediately grasped the intent.
"The Protector wants us to hold on and buy him time. May I ask, Miss Qin, how long do we need to hold out?"
Qin Jiuye made a quick estimation in her mind and spoke cautiously. "The Protector and I parted seven days ago at the border of Jiaozhou. At that time, Prince Yu’an’s carriage had already reached the vicinity north of Ganyu. Even if they haven't moved south these past few days, the Protector can meet them along Shaping Road. Adding the time to travel to Jiugao... we only need to hold out for two or three days at most."
And as luck would have it, two or three days from now was the Winter Solstice.
The situation in the city was not optimistic, but once these words were spoken, everyone felt a sense of hope and anticipation. The exhaustion and unease of the past days were swept away. Gao Quan immediately said, "Aside from the people from the Governor's estate, Fan Tong’s helpers are mostly brought by the Military Sima. Although we shouldn't have a direct conflict, they are out in the open and not too difficult to deal with. The ones truly hard to guard against are those Cao Jin let into the city on Ding Miao’s orders."
Li Qiao, who had been silent, was the first to react. "Is it the people from the First Villa under Heaven?"
Ding Miao was a Shadow Envoy of the Villa. Even though Di Mo was dead and the Villa destroyed, judging by the situation within the First Villa at the time, there should still be many disciples wandering outside. Ding Miao only needed to gather these people to obtain a group of dead soldiers. While they couldn't face the imperial army head-on, they were more than enough to cause chaos in a small place like Jiugao.
However, Xu Qiuchi shook his head. "I had the same suspicion at first, but after catching their tails a few times, I found that the truth seems to be more than that."
As his voice fell, Liu Caiwu dragged out a corpse covered in white cloth from the shadows.
"The Second Young Master ordered a live capture, but they are well-trained. The moment they knew they couldn't escape, they took poison to kill themselves. Even in death, they had no intention of revealing a single word to us."
As Liu Caiwu spoke, he pulled back the white cloth, revealing the body of a woman beneath. Her gray, dead face was half-hidden by disheveled hair. Qin Jiuye didn't recognize the face at first, but the next moment, she saw the hand exposed outside and suddenly remembered something.
That corpse had only nine fingers. The last time she had seen such a woman was on a pleasure boat on Lixin Lake.
"She’s the boatwoman from that pleasure boat?"
Xu Qiuchi nodded, his tone laced with mockery. "They were all once members of the First Villa under Heaven. It’s just that after they committed errors and were punished, a 'compassionate' Shadow Envoy who could empathize with them took them under his wing and gave them another way to live."
What way to live? To become another person’s dead soldier?
From the moment they were born, their lives were in the hands of others. Discipline and torture were their daily bread. When someone appeared under the banner of "salvation" in their moment of despair, they involuntarily chose to follow, unaware that this "savior" who called himself "Mister" was no different from Di Mo. Both were merely using them for their own selfish interests, demanding they offer up their broken lives.
Qin Jiuye almost couldn't bear to look at the corpse any longer and looked up at Xu Qiuchi. "According to Cao Jin, Ding Miao’s dead soldiers have already penetrated the city. But why have they remained inactive? Or have they already done something in secret that we haven't noticed yet?"
As soon as she spoke, a brief silence fell over the surroundings.
Aside from the swordsman beside Ding Miao, there should be many other ruthless characters in this city like that boatwoman. If everything was as Xu Qiuchi just said, these outcasts of the First Villa likely harbored resentment toward everything in the world, especially toward ordinary people living normal lives. Their identification with Ding Miao and their willingness to follow him meant they were likely prepared to die, making them a hundred times more difficult to deal with than ordinary martial artists.
In truth, everyone understood that whether it was the people Xu Qiuchi caught or the tails drawn out by the Rejuvenation Soup earlier, they were all just the tip of the iceberg—the woodworms crawling out before the dam collapses. And judging by that red notice, the Winter Solstice in three days would likely be the day of the enemy's action and the critical moment that would decide victory or defeat.
The feeling of uncertainty was unpleasant. Duan Xiaozhou slapped his thigh and stood up, speaking impulsively. "Guessing back and forth won't yield a result. Instead of being so passive, I say we just post another notice next to that one, saying Fan Tong is talking nonsense. The entire Jiugao granary has been flooded; where would he get surplus grain to give out as blessing rice? Then we take the Commandant’s official seal and stamp it. I’m not afraid they won't believe it..."
"Have you gone mad?" Zheng Peiyu grabbed him, reminding him quickly, "The chaos caused by trouble at the granary is no better than the plague. When the time comes, Ding Miao won't even need to act; the city will fall into chaos on its own. We still don't know if Ding Miao and Fan Tong have people in the court backing them. Those people are just waiting to catch the Qiu family in a mistake. Wouldn't you be delivering yourself right to them?"
Every word Zheng Peiyu said was logical. Fan Tong was acting under the guise of a heavenly sacrifice and was even going to actually distribute grain. If they forcibly obstructed him, they might be framed for sabotaging disaster relief and intending to incite civil unrest. At that time, not just the Qiu family, but the entire Jiugao City might be implicated.
The continuous heavy rain had left people in a state of panic, and several major grain-producing counties in Yuzhou had suffered heavy losses. Although it produced no salt or iron and held no garrisoned troops, the weather-favored Longshu had always been the stable rear maintaining the Xiangliang granaries. Once Jiugao City fell, it would inevitably affect the surrounding cities and counties. If it met the same fate as Juchao, it would become a scorched, dead city, remaining a wasteland for decades to come. This would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to Xiangliang, and if internal and external threats took advantage of the situation, it would be another unavoidable upheaval and disaster.
If one wanted the world to fall into chaos, one didn't necessarily have to strike at the very top. A thousand-mile dam can be destroyed by an ant hole; a grand mansion can collapse from a missing tenon. Only by looking at the stars and the span of history can one realize—who would have thought a tiny socket could be the celestial pivot? That a small, peaceful city could be the key to universal peace?
"Then what should we do?" Duan Xiaozhou was deeply troubled, his recently ignited drive collapsing again. "I see they thought of all this long ago, just waiting to watch us fail."
"We can only meet their moves as they come." Qin Jiuye looked at the expressions on everyone's faces. After some hesitation, she decided to tell the truth. "Regardless, we need to prepare for the worst. If something goes wrong this time and the Emperor's people can't be relied upon, Jiugao will face not just a man-made disaster, but a natural one as well. Don't forget those Golden Silk Rain Bamboos by the Huan River."
The blooming of the Sea Cloud Bamboo in Juchao was likely related to the heavy rain that year, and Jiugao had just experienced something similar. The blooming of bamboo has almost no warning and cannot be calculated in advance, but once it happens, it is unavoidable—as if Heaven intended to hand down a punishment, a reenactment of Juchao. And she had reason to believe that Ding Miao had seen some omen in those bamboos earlier, which was why he ultimately chose to target Jiugao as the ultimate battlefield for his "great ambition."
"The day I left Chuanliu Courtyard, it was snowing in Juchao. Three days later, when I set out for the First Villa under Heaven, the rain and snow stopped. Based on the geography, Jiugao has at most half a month before winter fully sets in and the north wind begins to blow. Before then, if we cannot control the situation in the city, I’m afraid when the time comes..."
No matter how they restrained Ding Miao, found all the patients, and provided enough medicinal soup to stabilize the condition, once the bamboo bloomed and the pollen drifted toward Jiugao, no one knew what the city would become.
Qin Jiuye couldn't go on. She didn't want to describe the terrifying scenes from her nightmares, nor did she want everyone to fall into a state of helpless fear at this moment.
"Isn't that time not here yet?" Gao Quan’s voice rang out, still in his somewhat flat tone. "The Protector left us here for this very day."
Hearing this, Du Shaoheng also said firmly, "That's right. We promised the Protector we would guard everything. Even if we have to give our lives, we will not retreat a single step."
The young officers all expressed their stances. Only Lin Fang did not immediately join in, instead looking at the contemplative Xu Qiuchi.
"What does the Second Young Master think?"
Xu Qiuchi looked around, a mockingly surprised smile touching his brow. "You're willing to follow my lead?"
The sarcasm in his words was easy to detect, but Gao Quan changed his previous attitude and took the lead in responding solemnly.
"We only came here with the Protector a few months ago, while the Second Young Master has lived in this city for over twenty years. The city defense and water conservancy maps left by the Commandant have surely been reviewed by the Second Young Master, and the latest water route defenses in the city were all designed by the Second Young Master. Gao Quan implores the Second Young Master to contribute his plans and efforts for the people of Jiugao and cross this difficult pass with us."
"General Gao needn't place me on such a high pedestal." Xu Qiuchi remained his usual lazy self, but his voice was much deeper than before. "I am only here to repay the debts of my father and brother. May I ask, Lord Lin, how much manpower can we currently mobilize in the city?"
"Less than three hundred men, all told." Lin Fang presented the records he had prepared earlier with both hands, handing copies to the others as was his custom. "Most of the garrison in Longshu is in Fan Tong’s hands. Of the remaining scattered personnel, about half are those who stayed in Jiugao after following the Commandant to manage the floods, and some... are remnants of the Black Moon."
Most of the Black Moon soldiers who survived the battle of Juchao had retired to their fields. Those who insisted on staying to follow Qiu Yan could never be given important roles and mostly held lowly positions in the city. After twenty-two years, many of these remnants were now old soldiers over fifty, yet they remained trustworthy existences when mentioned.
Xu Qiuchi fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. He didn't dwell too much on this family history, only speaking to remind them, "City defense is only one part; the preparation of medicinal herbs is the second. The Su family is willing to contact nearby herb merchants for help, but mobilizing and transporting them in a short time also requires manpower. Although Chuanliu Courtyard delivers messages quickly and reliably, it may not be able to open up transportation channels. I can draw manpower from my friends, but the distance is too great; I’m afraid they won't make it in time."
A figure wearing a small yellow fur cap flashed through her mind. Qin Jiuye pulled out a bone whistle from her person, thought for a moment, and handed it over.
"I happen to know someone. Her family made their fortune in the courier and horse business around Quzhou. She herself is from the Daoshu Pavilion. Though she can be a bit impulsive at times, she’s quite clever. Whether she can be relied upon, I’ll leave that to General Gao to judge."
Beside him, Gao Quan took the whistle and looked at it, his eyebrows shooting up. "This is the Eagle Bone Whistle of the Quzhou Huang family. The Huang family had a grudge with the Gao family in the early years. However, in recent years, they no longer take large escorts for wealthy families but specialize in small, private escorts for the common folk. They are indeed more flexible and discreet."
"And thirdly, there is the public opinion in the streets and alleys of this city," Li Qiao reminded them softly, informing everyone of what he had seen on Bobo Street. "My sister and I saw the Bai family secretly collecting herbs in the south of the city today. They must have heard some rumors. However, those people were acting covertly, which means the news is likely only spreading among a small group and hasn't come out into the open yet. But it’s hard to say how things will develop next."
Lu Zican gave Li Qiao a rare extra look before taking up the conversation. "Rumors are most feared in the military, and it’s the same in this city. We must remain vigilant of the city's rumors and trends to stabilize the people's hearts. However, governing an army has military rules and laws; soldiers following their superiors is etched into their bones. This city is not like that. There are thousands of mouths and thousands of ears—how can we possibly manage or hear them all?"
"Voices hidden in the streets and alleys must naturally be collected by people from the streets and alleys. On this trip south to Yuzhou, I also found some helpers. Although the timing is a bit rushed, we can't afford to worry about that anymore."
As Qin Jiuye’s voice fell, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by Shi Huaiyu’s voice.
"Miss Qin’s guests have arrived."
After Shi Huaiyu spoke, he nodded to the person beside him. The latter stepped forward slowly—a middle-aged woman dressed simply with a cloth headwrap. Her aura was extremely restrained, and her footsteps were as light as a breeze. In the blink of an eye, she had walked up to Qin Jiuye and bowed.
"Greetings, Miss Qin. We received word the moment you returned to Jiugao. We only await your command."
She had been standing beside Shi Huaiyu just now, but had the latter not spoken to remind them, most people in the courtyard wouldn't have even noticed another person was there. This was a unique skill of those who frequented the streets and alleys to pass messages in secret.
Qin Jiuye didn't know her, but the woman clearly knew her. This feeling made her feel a bit awkward. She helped the woman up before speaking cautiously.
"No need for such formality. This is our first meeting, and we should have had more time to get to know each other, but since the matter is urgent, we can only meet like this for now."
Although she had taken over Chuanliu Courtyard, this was the first time Qin Jiuye had gathered these shadows hidden in the streets in her capacity as the so-called "Courtyard Master." These faces were both familiar and strange to her. Before today, even if she had brushed shoulders with these people in the city, she would never have guessed they held another identity in the martial world.
Just like Old Tang.
Perhaps seeing her slight hesitation, the woman spoke gently. "Since it is my first meeting with the Miss, let me say a few more words. My family’s charcoal shop is in the back alley of Sizhi Street. The information regarding the Su family’s dealings with the person behind the scenes was discovered by me and turned over to Tingfeng Hall. Shopkeeper Tang also lost his life because of that message. His friends took the swallow lanterns to find the Young Master, and our old acquaintances in the south of the city lost many more to secretly aid him. My own husband died covering the Young Master’s retreat from Baoshen Tower. We all came to Jiugao City together back then. Over the years, we’ve lost more than half in our secret struggle against the First Villa under Heaven. Now, only I and four others remain, and I am the most senior. If the Miss has any more questions, this old woman can answer them one by one."
The woman’s voice was very calm, but those few sentences spoke of all the endurance and partings of those years. Qin Jiuye knew she mentioned these things partly to explain the situation and partly to dispel the concerns of the others. Her heart was filled with gratitude, yet also an indescribable bitterness.
She thought again of sitting by the noisy Bobo Street this morning, eating the sugar cakes bite by bite, and those hurried figures blurred in the smoke and mist of the street stalls. After a long while, she finally spoke again, as if to the woman before her, and to everyone in the courtyard.
"I am not as far-sighted as the Young Master. I am simply doing my best to finish this last task, fulfilling my promise to him. My only wish is that once this is over, we can all live the lives of ordinary people."
The woman was stunned, frozen there for a long time before she nodded gently.
"Good. When it’s all over, we’ll live the lives of ordinary people."
***
**Glossary**
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