The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 11
Today, Madam Gu had come not for a visit, but to return change for the five-hundred-tael silver note Wen Shuse had handed over that day. She brought back four hundred eighty taels in cash, along with an IOU for twenty taels signed with a bright red fingerprint.
After expressing her gratitude, she left behind a few hand-embroidered handkerchiefs as thanks to Wen Shuse, then politely excused herself and returned to her room.
The golden sunlight of early spring bathed the courtyard, the weather perfectly mild. As the sunlight poured through, Xie Shao turned his gaze to the young woman standing nearby.
She wore a begonia-pink skirt and a light goose-yellow wide-sleeved gauze robe. Large green leaves above her cast scattered, shifting dappled light across her face, swaying gently in the breeze, though she stood still as a painting.
So, it turned out the person who’d given money to Madam Gu’s relatives wasn’t the Eldest Young Lady Xie but was Second Wen. And not 500 taels, but a mere 20.
When Madam Gu had been present, Wen Shuse still kept up a smile for him. But the moment she left, Wen Shuse returned to their “strangers behind closed doors” arrangement, acting as if he weren’t even there. She simply turned and instructed Xiangyun and Aunt Qing to start clearing away the table and stools.
Xie Shao glanced down at the table, snacks and tea were all exquisitely laid out.
Rice cakes from White Pavilion, beauty-enhancing flower tea from Zuixiang Tower, tribute-grade peaches he’d only just sent from the estate yesterday, two plates of seasoned soybeans. There was even an incense burner at her feet, burning a cooling blend meant to clear the mind.
The extravagance… was in no way inferior to his own courtyard.
The entire Xie household had been thrown into chaos these past few days because of her uninvited arrival. He, more than anyone, had to wrack his brain trying to placate his grandmother, painstakingly crafted the illusion of marital bliss by exhausting every ounce of his ingenuity.
Meanwhile, she lived in carefree leisure.
While Xie Shao was lost in thought for a brief moment, the young woman had already lifted her skirt and gone back into the room.
He turned and returned to his west wing room, intending to catch a nap, when Xie Jie, the Second Young Master of the main branch suddenly showed up. He seated himself across from Xie Shao in the round-back chair and began chatting about the upcoming Spring Festival gathering. The conversation meandered from horses to saddles, dragging on endlessly without getting to the point.
Xie Shao, half-asleep and losing patience, finally cut in. “How much do you need?”
After sending the second cousin off, Xie Shao enjoyed a peaceful nap. But by evening, Uncle An showed up with a thick stack of account books in hand.
“Second Young Master said you promised him six hundred taels. Is that true?”
Still dressed in a light robe, Xie Shao rubbed his sleepy eyes, sat on a floor cushion in front of the low table, poured himself a cup of tea, and said casually, “Give it to him.”
“Third Young Master is mighty generous. Many thanks, many thanks.”
The starling that had belonged to the main room had been moved over to the west wing after it was cleaned up which was sent by Wen Shuse’s people. The bird had picked up quite a few phrases, clearly from hearing endless flattery.
Uncle An was nearly in tears. “Young Master… the Master and Madam only just arrived in Quanzhou. If they come back and find out about this…”
“What will happen?” Xie Shao remained as lazy as ever, his voice smooth and unhurried. “When the former Chancellor Xie resigned and returned home with his family, wasn’t it all for this very life of peace and harmony? Better to enjoy it with everyone than to hoard it alone. If a little silver can bring joy to the whole family, why not?”
“Has Young Master truly not considered your future at all…?”
Xie Shao let out a light snort, raised his gaze, and said, “I’m just a good-for-nothing. What future do I need? My parents built a mountain of gold and silver. My greatest ambition in life is to spend it all.”
Uncle An refused to give up. “Money is just a worldly possession, there will come a day when it runs out.”
“It won’t.”
“It will.” Uncle An’s voice trembled with urgency.
Xie Shao: …
He knew full well Uncle An had come prepared and wouldn’t leave without results. He finally gave in, sighing, “Fine. Leave the books. I’ll take a look.”
Uncle An respectfully handed over the stack and bowed again. “Please, Young Master, do look them over.”
—
As night fell and the lanterns were lit, Xie Shao sat in front of the pile of account books. In the end, he had someone summon Nanny Fang to the west wing.
“Where’s Second Wen?” he asked.
“Third Young Madam has already retired for the night.”
Xie Shao turned toward the sandglass. Dusk had only just passed. He narrowed his eyes. “She has that much free time?”
Fang Mama hesitated. Free time? Hardly.
“Every morning at dawn, Third Young Madam takes a few laps around the Xijin Pavilion until midmorning, then returns for a short nap. After waking, she brings snacks onto the boat, stays there a while, and then rows to the half-moon bridge. Across from the bridge, in the peony field, she’s had a swing installed and swings for about half an hour. Then she moves to the pavilion. In the afternoon, when the sun gets hot, she prefers to spend time at the southern waterside pavilion. She usually takes her lunch there before returning to the courtyard. She’s even hired a painter to document her daily routine. Every few days, she sends the paintings to Old Madam Wen.”
Wen Shuse’s long-awaited return visit to her family ultimately came to nothing.
She had originally hoped to go back with Xie Shao for the customary bride’s return to her family, but after being turned away, she gave up on the idea. The next day, she packed her things and planned to return to the Wen family alone but before she could leave, the old madam stopped her.
Old Madam Xie’s exact words were: “This marriage was a mistake from the start. The groom wasn’t the real groom, and the bride wasn’t the real bride. Things have already gotten to this point, both families are too ashamed to face each other, and both sides are pretending to be oblivious while waiting for the other to make the first move. In order for Xie Shao to placate me, he insisted that Second Young Lady Wen was his heart’s desire. Sounds far-fetched, but what if it’s true? If I let Second Young Lady go back now, with how sly that old fox from the Wen family is, would Second Young Lady ever return? That Old Madam Wen has only one legitimate granddaughter. Now that the marriage scheme failed, she’s probably hoping she’ll come home. If she does, forget her reputation and face, she might even be willing to risk her life to hide her away. By then, wouldn’t our Xie family end up with nothing?”
“Serve her well. Give her anything she wants except permission to return to the Wen family.”
Unable to return, Wen Shuse later heard from Qiuying that the old madam had indeed taken a turn for the worse. Worried, she invited a painter to the estate to capture her so-called “happy days” in illustrations, hoping to send them to her grandmother as reassurance.
It was certainly a full schedule, but in Xie Shao’s eyes, it was just idling.
The next morning, as soon as Wen Shuse lifted her bed curtain after waking, Xie Shao stepped in through the beaded curtain from the inner room and said, “Second Wen, get ready and come out. I have something to say.”
They hadn’t spoken in nearly ten days. Wen Shuse had been living comfortably and carefree, so to be called out so early left her wary, surely, something big was coming. Not daring to delay, she hurriedly washed up, dressed, and stepped out. Xie Shao was already seated by the window at the tea table in the outer chamber.
Wen Shuse adjusted the light pink shawl around her arms and stepped forward, politely asking, “What does Third Young Master want to discuss?”
Ever since she had coldly turned away from him the day before, leaving him with nothing but the back of her neck, cold and dismissive, Xie Shao knew she still held a grudge about what happened last time.
Later, he figured out what she’d been after that she wanted to return to her family.
But he never had the patience for these domestic affairs. His heart might be willing, but his ability was lacking and there was simply nothing he could do.
He gestured for her to sit across from him and got straight to the point. “Do you know how to manage accounts?”
Wen Shuse was caught off guard.
“The Wen family is a renowned scholarly household in Fengcheng. Their upbringing of young ladies surely leaves no gaps—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting go without saying, and managing a household should be no challenge either.”
He glanced at the stunned young woman across from him, his brows twitching slightly. “Old Madam Wen never hired a teacher for that?”
So, this was something serious.
Wen Shuse snapped to attention. Hadn’t they already agreed to make do and keep to themselves? Now he wanted to verify her qualifications after the fact? She very much wanted to argue with him, but there was no way she’d admit to lacking proper upbringing and replied, “Yes, she did.”
“Then you know how?”
What did he mean by that? She’d just said she’d studied, wasn’t that enough? Was he looking down on her or accusing her of lying? Impatience flickered across Wen Shuse’s expression and said, “Of course I do. What exactly does Third Young Master want?”
“Good, then,” Xie Shao said, and without another word, placed the entire stack of account books that Uncle An had brought him the night before directly in front of her. “Starting today, you’re in charge of the household accounts.”
Wen Shuse’s eyes widened.
Xiangyun and Aunt Qing both gasped softly in unison.
Wen Shuse wasn’t sure she heard him correctly and asked, “What did Third Young Master just say?”
Xie Shao repeated calmly, “You’ll manage the accounts.”
Was he so desperate that he’d try anything? She knew perfectly well what she was and wasn’t capable of. She didn’t have the skill to handle something this serious. Wen Shuse tactfully declined, “This is an important responsibility… perhaps Third Young Master should reconsider more carefully…”
“You’re living in my room, eating my food, using my things. You should at least contribute something,” Xie Shao was convinced she was the perfect replacement for him. “Judging from how you handled Madam Gu’s relatives, you’re clearly not as useless as the rumors claim. And with the reputation the Eldest Miss has for virtue and talent, growing up under the same roof, Second Wen can’t be that far off.”
Xiangyun dug her nails into her own palm, while Aunt Qing stiffened beside her. Both of them held their breath and clenched their jaws, terrified that even the tiniest sound might escape at the wrong moment.
With such high praise, whether it was sarcasm or genuine, Wen Shuse couldn’t quite tell Xie Shao had placed a very tall hat firmly on her head. After a pause, she asked, “And how exactly does Third Young Master expect me to manage it?”
“As you like. Just make sure the books match up with Uncle An from the accounting office each month.”
Wen Shuse cautiously tested the waters, “Then… what about my expenses…”
“As you like,” Xie Shao replied casually.
It really was a big deal. After spending about ten days in this courtyard, Wen Shuse had seen firsthand the extent of Xie Shao’s wealth, undeniably the richest man in all of Fengcheng.
If he was asking her to manage the accounts, then that meant… she’d be the one deciding how that money was spent?
Her heart suddenly started thumping—thump, thump—but no matter how thrilled she was, she couldn’t let him see it. She lowered her head, bit her lip, thought for a moment, then said, with deliberate reluctance, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Then she leaned forward, glanced at the man across from her, and began to bargain. “Managing accounts isn’t exactly easy. I imagine I’ll be quite busy from now on. And speaking of time, I’ve been here in the Xie family for twelve days now, and still haven’t returned home…”
As long as she was willing to take on some of his burden, he could be flexible with the rest. Xie Shao agreed readily, “Tomorrow, wait by the gate in the morning.”
Once the matter was settled, Xie Shao immediately instructed Minzhang to hand over the storehouse keys to Wen Shuse.
After breakfast the next morning, she and her two maids paid a visit to the storehouse and came back stunned.
Then, flipping through the account books, with their endless strings of jaw-dropping figures, Wen Shuse stood silent for a long time before finally lifting her head and murmuring, “How are we even supposed to spend all this?”
Knowing exactly what kind of person her mistress was, Aunt Qing quickly reached over and shut the account book with a firm snap, saying, “Miss, silver in your hands doesn’t bite. Let’s take it… slowly.”
___
With the last of his troubles now off his shoulders, Xie Shao felt lighter than ever. When he ran into Uncle An on his way out, he waved a casual hand and said, “Go find Third Young Madam. She’s handling the accounts from now on.”
Today, he and a few friends had arranged to drink at Pei Qing’s place. Xie Shao left the mansion and headed straight for the Pei residence.
The head of the Pei family had left for the Eastern Capital a few years prior and now held the rank of Assistant Minister at the Court of Judicial Review. The Pei estate in Fengcheng was left to Pei Qing alone. Without any elders to restrict him, life was easygoing for the young man. Despite Pei Qing’s stern appearance which could send delicate maidens trembling, his mansion was decorated in a refined, poetic style. Over the years, it had become the regular gathering spot for their circle.
Normally, only a single gatekeeper stood outside the entrance.
But today, as Xie Shao dismounted, he noticed two guards standing stiffly on either side of the gate. He raised an eyebrow just as Pei Qing came out to greet him. “Brother Xie.”
Before Xie Shao could ask, Pei Qing led him through the corridor and gave a subtle glance toward the front hall, lowering his voice. “Returned just a stick of incense ago, no warning at all.”
Xie Shao glanced ahead. The front hall doors were wide open, curtains drawn up on all sides. At the tea table sat a man in his forties, Pei Qing’s father, Pei Yuanqiu, the Assistant Minister from the capital.
Well, since they’d run into each other, Xie Shao stepped forward to offer his respects. “Uncle Pei.”
“Oh! That must be Xie Shao, isn’t it?” Pei Yuanqiu’s eyes lit up at the sight of him, his tone warm and enthusiastic. “Haven’t seen you in years, you’ve grown even more distinguished.”
“You flatter me, Uncle.”
“When I left the Eastern Capital, you were only twelve. In the blink of an eye, you’re already married. I heard you married a young lady from the Wen family?”
“Yes, the Second Miss Wen.”
“Good match. The Wen family’s made quite a bit of fortune in Fuzhou.”
Before the conversation could go further, Pei Qing cut in, “If Father wants to reminisce with Brother Xie, perhaps another day. Today, he’s my guest.” Without waiting for a reply, he ushered Xie Shao away toward the rear courtyard.
In the back, Cui Nian and Zhou Kuang were already there. The Pei mansion was a five-compound courtyard, with a clear separation between front and rear. The noise of each courtyard didn’t carry through and everyone did as they pleased.
After a few rounds of drinks, Xie Shao got up and went to the nearby washroom. On his way back, he saw Pei Yuanqiu standing in the covered corridor, hands tucked into his sleeves and his back facing him.
He was obviously waiting for him.
Xie Shao paused for a second, then approached with a polite smile. “Uncle Pei.”
Pei Yuanqiu turned and greeted him, picking up where they left off. “How’s Old Master Xie doing?”
“All is well,” Xie Shao replied.
After a bit of polite small talk, Pei Yuanqiu gave him a steady look and suddenly asked, “So… you’ve never thought about returning to the Eastern Capital?”
Xie Shao shook his head. “The people of Great Feng value returning to one’s roots. Besides, Fengcheng is a place of serene mountains and flowing waters. Those who settle here would not be willing to leave again.”
Pei Yuanqiu tilted his head and smiled. “That sounds more like your father’s thinking than yours. You know my unfilial son well. Since childhood, he’s been full of his own ideas. At first, I was like your father, wanting to keep him close. But what happened? Our father-son relationship soured overnight. Eventually, I realized that children have their own paths. As parents, we can’t control much.”
Xie Shao listened quietly, offering no comment.
Pei Yuanqiu saw his silence and got straight to the point. “Old Master Xie still won’t let you return to the capital?”
“You’ve misunderstood, Uncle,” Xie Shao replied calmly. “My father and I share the same outlook, and I genuinely enjoy the scenery and peace of Fengcheng.”
“I doubt that.” Pei Yuanqiu turned his gaze upward toward the sky. “When you were twelve, you stood before the imperial examination rankings on the Dragon-Tiger Wall and recited, ‘All the vast rivers and lands—let the youth be the judge of them.’ Even now, the court officials still talk about it with admiration.”
“Just childish arrogance. I’m ashamed to have embarrassed myself before you, Uncle.”
“Youth?” Pei Yuanqiu gave a snort of amusement. “If you call yourself old now, what does that make your father or me?”
He sighed and continued, “All things in this world follow Heaven’s will. Those burdened with a purpose cannot escape it, no matter how they try. Do you know how Chancellor Wang, who held your father’s position for only a few days after him, died?”
“Chancellor Wang was killed because he’d once been robbed of wealth and concubines,” Xie Shao said evenly. “Those men feared revenge. My Xie family has no power, no enemies.”
“Who says you have no enemies?” Pei Yuanqiu’s smile faded. “Isn’t Jing Wang still in Fengcheng?”
___
Back in the rear courtyard, Pei Qing noticed Xie Shao was nowhere to be found. After searching for a bit, he finally saw him walking out side by side with his father and his expression immediately darkened.
As he escorted Xie Shao to the gate, Pei Qing leaned in and whispered, “That man is extremely calculating. He’s already aligned himself with the Right Chancellor’s faction. No matter what he said to you today, remember to be cautious.”
Xie Shao gave a faint smile and patted his shoulder. “I know.”
“I was rude today. I’ll come by tomorrow to make amends.”
Xie Shao took the reins from Minzhang and mounted his horse. “Tomorrow, I’m afraid I won’t be free.”
“Oh? Already have plans?”
“Return visit to the bride’s family!”