Chapter Forty-Three: Provocation

Page 1 of 3

By midday, the sun blazed fiercely in the sky. Chu Youcai, having rested the entire morning, felt his vigor and spirit fully restored. Yet, as the hour drew near and neither Yun Cuixian nor Shangguan Wanru had returned, an unease crept into his heart.

Just then, from not far outside, he heard the mocking and scornful voices of children. Their jeering rang out without pause: “The Chu family’s Talented One has no talent, and Yun Cuixian covets nothing but wealth...”

At these words, Chu Youcai’s expression changed. Who had composed such a rhyme, and how had it spread here? Rising to his feet, he stepped outside.

There he saw Yun Cuixian and Shangguan Wanru approaching from a distance, surrounded by a group of children who laughed and tossed small stones, deliberately aiming them to land near Yun Cuixian, the pebbles striking the ground with sharp sounds.

Suddenly, one boy jumped out, made a hideous face, and shouted, “Shame! Shame! Chu Youcai sells his wife, Yun Cuixian lusts after the power of the Prince of Chu’s Residence!”

At this, Chu Youcai’s face darkened to an iron hue, his eyes flashing with lethal intent that seemed to radiate outward. The children, frightened by his aura, turned pale and fled, though even at a distance they continued to sneer and make faces, brimming with disdain.

Chu Youcai’s fury only grew, but Yun Cuixian had already come to his side, speaking gently, “My lord, there’s no need for anger. They are but children, stirred up by others. Why stoop to their level?”

Chu Youcai took a deep breath, his face gradually regaining calm, though his eyes still glimmered with a dark light, as if straining to break free and pierce the heavens. The rumors had become so rampant that, in a day or two, all of Yanzhou would know of them. There was no more time to delay.

“We go!” Chu Youcai’s voice was ice.

“Very well.” Yun Cuixian and Shangguan Wanru nodded without hesitation. The four women, all dressed in men’s attire, and Chu Youcai boarded the prepared carriage, which quickly set off for Tianranju, the largest restaurant in Yanzhou.

Inside the carriage, Yun Cuixian handed Chu Youcai an envelope. “Please, my lord, open this.”

The handwriting on the envelope was elegant yet powerful, full of martial vigor, inscribed: “For Chu Youcai’s eyes only.” Chu Youcai was surprised. “Who sent this?”

Page 2 of 3

Yun Cuixian shook her head. “When I went to Master Zhu’s old residence, I found it empty. Then, as the sound of a flute faded, this letter appeared before me. Sister Shangguan rushed to pursue, but could find no trace of the sender.”

Chu Youcai was astonished—if even Shangguan Wanru, with all her skill, could not detect the other’s presence, who could this be? He opened the letter.

The words inside were stark: “Master Zhu Huiweng once misjudged a case.

Years ago, the ancestral tombs saw many local clans seize burial grounds for themselves, and such brazen appropriations were frequent.

Zhu Huiweng had received a petition regarding the Xue family usurping a prized feng shui location. Upon investigation, he found the site was indeed a place of beauty and auspicious energy.

The Xue family claimed the tomb was their own, unrelated to others, while the petitioner insisted it was his ancestor’s grave, usurped by the Xue through influence. Thus the families quarreled endlessly...”

Chu Youcai read swiftly, taking in the letter at a glance, and the truth dawned on him—what a shocking revelation! The matter had occurred more than twenty years ago and attracted much attention. Zhu Huiweng’s judgment against the Xue family’s seizure had earned him great renown.

But now, a hidden twist had come to light. The events described were not long past—yet who was this mysterious correspondent, and how did they know? Why would they offer such help?

Chu Youcai scrutinized the letter, front and back, but found no signature. Yet in his heart, he quickly thought of a certain person.

“Could it truly be her?

If not her, who could surpass even Shangguan Wanru in skill?

If not her, who would arrive accompanied by flute music?

If not her, who would care about my affairs?”

Gratitude welled up within him.

He passed the letter to the other women to read.

Page 3 of 3

When Yun Cuixian finished reading, a trace of shock appeared on her face. “Such secret matters... Could the sender be the Second Lady you once mentioned, my lord?”

Chu Youcai nodded. “It should be her.”

Shangguan Wanru took the letter, glanced at it, then closed her eyes. For some reason, her grip on her sword tightened.

Hongyu and Juxue, having read the letter, were greatly encouraged, their confidence renewed. Hongyu declared, “If this is true, then even if Zhu brings out his father, he won’t be able to suppress us!”

“Indeed, quite the contrary—this could become our breakthrough,” Chu Youcai replied, his voice brimming with confidence. His mind flashed back to the earlier scene, the disrespect shown by even the children to Yun Cuixian, and his eyes shone with anger. Zhu Yuzheng had gone too far; he could no longer endure. Since the other sought his ruin, he would never yield!

The carriage arrived at Tianranju. Chu Youcai was first to alight. The heat pressed in from all sides, but it was overpowered by the stench of wine wafting from ahead.

Chu Youcai frowned. Tianranju was reputed to be the finest restaurant in Yanzhou—how could it smell so foul?

At that moment, a burly man staggered over, swaying and half-lidded. Catching sight of Chu Youcai, he seemed to recognize him. With a sneer, he spat, “Wife-seller!”

Chu Youcai grabbed the hulking man with one hand and, with little effort, tossed him aside, leaving him to wail where he landed, then strode into the restaurant.

Inside, the place was a tumult of noise. No attendant greeted him. Instead, many eyes were fixed on the center of the hall, where brawny men in tight clothing stood guard, faces fierce and watchful. At the heart of the room stood a table of purple jade, exquisitely carved.

On the table sat a judge’s gavel and a folding fan. The pillars bore inscriptions—on one side, tales of war and valor; on the other, stories of law and justice. The banner overhead read: “Tales of Spirits and Goblins.”

Near the table lounged a young nobleman in a wisteria chair, swaying lazily. His bearing was elegant, his demeanor refined, yet he whispered indecently with a woman at his side, their behavior wanton and shameless.

Chu Youcai glanced sidelong and guessed this must be Zhu Yuzheng. He sized up the man—his body was weak, clearly not a practitioner of the martial arts. Relieved, Chu Youcai deliberately ignored him and instead sat at a table, ordered a pot of wine, and began to drink.

The brawny men eyed Chu Youcai at first, but seeing nothing amiss, soon lost interest.

Before long, as the crowd swelled, the young nobleman finally rose, lazily pinched the woman’s cheek, and strode to the purple jade table. With a sudden swing, he brought the gavel down with a heavy thud.