Chapter 62.2

In Central Min, Chu Xiuming was sipping his tea. Liang-daren’s face had changed multiple times when reading the decree in his hand. The decree was issued by Emperor Cheng giving Chu Xiuming the full authority to act at his discretion to exterminate any official colluding with the pirates.

Liang-daren used to have three parts of loyalty to the Emperor, but it had completely vanished now. Emperor Cheng gave him a secret order to lure the pirates and use them to get rid of Chu Xiuming, while at the same time issued such decree to Chu Xiuming. Trust was trust, but his own safety was still of the utmost importance.

“Liang-daren believes me now? I am afraid His Majesty is waiting for us to destroy each other. Is Liang-daren certain that all of your men are yours?”  

Retrieving his decree only to casually throwing it on the table, Chu Xiuming continued. “Why does His Majesty issue this decree, does Liang-daren have a guess?”

Prior to seeing the decree, Liang-daren would have been able to confidently stating all his men were really his. Everyone’s interests were aligned since they had done so many things together, with each of the crime on head-rolling level of punishment if leaked out. All of them were in the mud together as those who weren’t had long been removed. They also had help from some higher level officials who were their cohorts.

Some degrees of coldness disappeared from Chu Xiuming’s face, there was even hints of sincerity in his beautiful brows.

“Only Liang-daren knows about this decree. I didn’t show it to you before because I needed time to ascertain Liang-daren isn’t the person Emperor Cheng placed here to monitor.”

Liang-daren’s heart shook, then Emperor Cheng must have placed some people here to monitor him too? Based on Emperor Cheng’s paranoid character, it should be about eight-part right. The decree’s existence made him uncertain how much Emperor Cheng had known.

“The fact that Liang-daren and I are meeting here today has probably been reported to the Capital.”

Liang-daren’s face changed greatly, “Why didn’t Count Yongning tell me first that day?”

Chu Xiuming smiled coldly, mockingly said, “How would I know which one was the spy? Moreover, had I not agree to cooperate and exchange handles on each other, perhaps Liang-daren would had made a move on me first. This is Liang-daren’s territory and you have operated for long. I am not saying you would, but….. ”

His eyes swept over the tea served on the table.

Liang-daren wasn’t upset of what he said because it was the truth, “Then according to Count Yongning, what it is to do?”

“This is Liang-daren’s place, I am not going to interfere.” Chu Xiuming got up and took the decree back. “Liang-daren better think of what to do. And…. His Majesty may not issue an order to kill me openly.” He left with his decree.

Liang-daren leaned back on his chair trembling. What Chu Xiuming said was correct, his head was in complete turmoil. Who had actually betray him……. Was someone coveting his position? It was possible, noone was willing to be under others if they could help it.

It was also a possibility this was Chu Xiuming’s plot to trap him, but that decree didn’t look fake, moreover, Chu Xiuming and himself had no conflict of interest.

The more he thought about it, the more cold sweat dripped on his body. Roughly rubbing his face, he said, “Someone come, triple the gifts to Count Yongning.”

“Yes.” A servant came in from outside.

“And call….. forget it. Get Yi-er here.”

He was about to call his advisor, but now he wasn’t sure whether the advisor could be trusted. At that moment when his nerves were stretched tight, the only person he could fully trust was his eldest son Liang Yi.

Chu Xiuming wasn’t staying at the relay station, the place Liang-daren arranged for him was a rich merchant’s courtyard that was specially built to house guests. It was richly decorated, it even had exotic bird and rare animals in the garden.

Right after passing the gate, four women in pink came forward to greet them. Two of them carried glass lamps walking at the front to lead the way, and the other two at the back following Chu Xiuming. Their hips swayed slightly as they walked, the tassels on their slender waists added their charms, their skirts were tightened at their ankles, revealing the pairs of three-inch golden lotuses.

T/N – ‘Three-inch golden lotus’ refers to bound feet, see Wikipedia. BTW don’t google bound feet images, it looked painful. Do you know that it was still practised until early 20th century? Poor women. In this story these girls were servants, or maybe the author was saying they used to be young ladies from good families.

Their eyes were pulsing with invitations but they dared not try to be closer to Chu Xiuming. The sisters previously sent thought he was just like other guests, but the result was being sent back to the main courtyard, their future there would be harder to bear. Serving at the guest courtyard was better, at least it was peaceful here and the people they served were all noble guests.

That was the reason these four were quite disciplined, apart from dressing themselves better they dared not take any initiative. If only they could follow Count Yongning….  The two girls at the back bit their lips and their legs went weak.

This courtyard had a bathing place with water flowing from a hot spring. It was an extravagant room, it had a white jade pool with each of it’s four corners decorated with jade lotus flowers. Hot spring water flowed from the lotus flower pistil, such an ingenious work of art.

White gauze curtain hung around the pool, white air steam curled up like in fairyland. After Chu Xiuming entered, a maid prepared all the bathing needs and left. The last one trying to serve him was dumped outside by the guards, none of the guards had any apprecation of gentle females.

Chu Xiuming took his outer clothes off and entered the water in his trousers. Leaning on the platform, his expression turned gentle as he was thinking that his wife would have loved such a place. What would she be doing at that time, she must had been in bed already. Wonder if the baby in her belly caused her problems.

The window at the corner of the room was suddenly knocked three times, the knocking sound was very light that less sensitive ears wouldn’t have noticed. Chu Xiuming’s eyes flashed, the gentle expression instantly vanished, replaced by his usual cold and calm expression. He grabbed a piece of fruit from the side and tossed it towards the window.

As soon as the fruit touched the floor, the window was also pushed open. A young man in the residence’s servant uniform jumped in. After closing the window, he picked up the fruit from the floor. Seeing it unharmed, he rubbed it and put it in his mouth, “I didn’t expect your martial arts has improved again.”

Chu Xiuming was waiting for him so he had taken off his upper clothes only, it was hard to find a place to talk so they had to meet here. Only two of the guards were the people that he openly brought with him, the rest were Emperor Cheng’s or Liang-daren’s people.

“How is the investigation going?”

“It’s hard.” The man approached the pool, “This is really….. people’s blood, sweat, and tears.”

Seeing Chu Xiuming’s stare, he stopped joking and started to talk about the investigation. The more that man talked, the more Chu Xiuming’s face became colder and calmer.

They were talking halfway when footsteps sound came from outside, it didn’t seem like anyone with skills, more like a woman’s steps.

They exchanged a look, the man took a few steps back then ran forward towards the pool and jumped. Chu Xiuming crossed his hands for the man to land, he pushed upwards and the man was thrown to the beams to hide himself there. Chu Xiuming put his hands in the water as if nothing had happened.

The door opened, from behind the gauze curtain, a figure was vaguely seen walking over. With a hand pushing the pool side, Chu Xiuming jumped out of the water and grabbed his outer clohing. Just as he was fastening the waistband, a girl wrapped in a cloak came in. Her face was as lovely as hibiscus, she slightly bit her lips with some shyness and embarrassment and bowed.

“Linglong pays respect to Count Yongning.”

“Get lost.” Chu Xiuming didn’t even look at her twice.

Linglong’s eyes reddened, “Count Yongning, This Lowly Woman will wait outside…..”

But then she stopped and started crying, “Count Yongning please take a pity, I was born in a literary family, my parents and brothers are in Liang-daren’s hand…… Otherwise how will I lower myself this way.”

“What does it do with me?” Chu Xiuming coldly said, “Someone come, throw her out.”

Linglong didn’t expect Chu Xiuming to be so indifferent, she gritted her teeth and took off her cloak. Without the cloak, she was clad in a tight turquoise budou embroidered with lotus flowers and a silk trousers of the same material. Her skin was snowy white, and she had a tiny waist smaller than a hand grip. She sobbed, “Count Yongning….”

Chu Xiuming ignored her, the two guards outside brushed past a little maid who was trying to prevent them from entering, they bowed, “Master Count has an order?”

“Throw out.”

“Yes.” None of his guards had special mercy to women, moreover they had experienced fighting alongside Countess Yongning during the siege. They didn’t act earlier because Chu Xiuming hadn’t told them to.

Chu Xiuming ordered, “Guard the door, don’t let anyone in.”

“Yes.”

The maids outside the door saw this girl taken out, there was a bit of sympathy in their eyes but more was like watching a play. Being in the same occupation, noone was cleaner than the others regardless of what she said inside.

Chu Xiuming simply kept his clothes on, he sat down on the couch next to the pool. The man jumped down from the beams and walked up to him, “What a luck with women.”

“Nothing more than that.” In Chu Xiuming’s eyes, these women was less than 1/10000th of his wife.

The man laughed, “Right, congratulations.”

The coldness in Chu Xiuming’s eyes lessened substantially when it was about his wife. He nodded, “Go on.”

“En.” Without wasting more time, that man continued, “And that’s all I can find out.”

Chu Xiuming said, “Lie low. There is no need to beat the grass and scare the snake. We don’t have to do anything, they will scramble by themselves.”

“En?” The man was confused.

Chu Xiuming told him about the decree, the man looked at him in disbelief.

“Emperor Cheng really issued it?”

“Naturally.” Chu Xiuming sneered, “He is probably still proud about it.”

The man’s mocking expression became more obvious, “That’s true, if it wasn’t because….”

He stopped as Chu Xiuming gave him a look. Suddenly curious, he asked, “Right, if Sister-in-law finds out about this, what would happen?”

“Aren’t you too idle?” Chu Xiuming replied, “She won’t bother.”

“En?” That man pursued, “Won’t bother? How if it had been a bare-all?”

Chu Xiuming pointed his finger at the window he entered from.

Knowing that he wouldn’t get any more answer. “Fine. Take care of yourself. I have already contacted those people.”

“En.” Chu Xiuming responded.