The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 98
He would have liked to speak up earlier, but the moment the two of them entered, they were already in that state. They had not given him any chance to make a sound.
After Wen Shuse moved to the Xie residence, one servant had been left in the courtyard, but who knew where that servant had gone at this hour. Only one dim lantern hung before the door.
Wen Huai had also only just arrived not long ago. Following the address Wen Shuse had left at the pier, he had found his way here. He called at the door for a while, but no one answered. So, he picked up a tree branch, slipped it through the door gap, and lifted the bolt. After entering, he found the inside pitch-black. He was just about to call out when movement came from behind him instead.
Newlyweds having many tricks was something he could understand. This brother-in-law of his not only had great strength, but also seemed to possess night vision. Carrying someone in his arms, he walked so quickly, yet in this darkness, he was not even afraid of falling.
Having hurried all the way here, Wen Huai was covered in travel dust. He straightened his robe and walked out from behind the screen wall, hiding the awkwardness on his face. Putting on the proper bearing of an elder brother, he said with a stern expression, “No matter how tight money is, you should still leave someone in the house, and at least keep a lamp lit. Look at this… What kind of behavior is this?”
The words carried a double meaning. Whether he was speaking about the lamp or about the two of them, no one could quite tell.
Wen Shuse had no face to meet anyone. She turned her back to her husband and fixed her clothes.
Xie Shao let out a long breath as he looked at the dark face blending into the night. Standing there, who could even see him? After a pause, he greeted, “Brother.”
Back in Fengcheng, Wen Huai had never heard this noble young master call him brother before. This sudden address was rather pleasing to the ear. Wen Huai took a fire striker from his sleeve. When the faint flame lit up, that dark face finally emerged from the night. It was, in fact, a little fairer than before. “Brother-in-law, have you been well recently?”
“All has been well.” It would have been even better if he had not come tonight.
Behind him, the young lady was still arranging her clothes. Xie Shao asked again, “When did Brother arrive?”
“Not long ago.” Wen Huai lifted his head and looked around the residence. “This residence is not small. I wonder how much it costs a month. In my opinion, since only the two of you live here, you might as well rent somewhere smaller. With the silver saved, you could at least add a few more lamps to the courtyard and hire two more people. Fortunately, the one who came tonight was me. If someone with ill intentions had entered, everything in this courtyard might have been gone. And that door bolt… I lifted it open with one try. A lock does not cost much silver. Go to the blacksmith’s shop and find some scrap iron no one else wants; a few coins would do…”
After more than a month of living in poverty, the former young master of a wealthy family had also come to understand the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt. He rambled on and on, and every word from his mouth was about daily living.
This fussy, calculating manner felt strangely familiar.
The young gentleman across from him saw it all, and the gloom blocked up in his chest today finally melted away completely.
Though he himself was miserable, it seemed there had always been someone in this world more miserable than he was. Suddenly, the dark face before him did not look quite so unpleasant anymore.
He greeted him, “Brother has just arrived and must be tired from the journey. Let us go inside first and talk there.”
Wen Shuse had finally finished fixing her clothes and came out from behind her husband. Only then did she take a closer look at Wen Huai. “Brother came alone?”
“Grandmother and Father were worried about you, so they had me come first to check on you.”
The group entered the inner courtyard by the light of the fire striker in Wen Huai’s hand. At last, the servant appeared from who knew where, carrying a lantern. Once he came before them, he apologized repeatedly. “This servant ate something bad today and upset his stomach. Young Madam and Young Master, please forgive me…”
There was only one servant in the residence. Fortunately, the bedding from before had not yet been removed.
Wen Shuse settled Wen Huai in the room that Chancellor Xie and Second Madam had previously used, then had the servant go boil water and prepare tea.
“Brother, have you eaten?”
Wen Huai nodded. He opened his bundle and took out a few fried flatbreads. “I bought several of these in the Southern City and still haven’t finished them. Are you two hungry? I can go heat them up. They’re quite fragrant…”
Today, Wen Shuse had just eaten at a palace banquet, her stomach full of delicacies. Later at night, the Eldest Young Master Ming also entertained them with fine wine and good dishes. How could she possibly be hungry?
The more she looked at him, the more pitiful he seemed. Right now, perhaps he was the only one still being kept in the dark. Wen Shuse shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Did Father not tell…”
“It’s already late. We can heat them up tomorrow.”
Wen Shuse turned to look at the husband beside her. Her husband’s expression did not change in the slightest. It was clear he intended to find someone to suffer alongside him, someone who could truly understand how he felt.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Wen Shuse said nothing more.
Seeing that she had stopped mid-sentence, Wen Huai asked, “What did Father not tell me?”
Her ears were soft, and she did not dare offend her husband. She could only sacrifice her elder brother. She asked instead, “Brother, do you still plan to go back?”
“Why would I not go back? There is a pile of cases waiting for me. I cannot delay for more than a few days.” He took a purse from his sleeve and handed it to Wen Shuse. “Expenses in the Eastern Capital are high. I don’t have much on me either. This is last month’s salary, ten taels in total. Take it first and use it to tide yourself over.”
Wen Shuse did not accept it.
Xie Shao reached out and took it instead. “Thank you, Brother.”
Wen Huai nodded, then asked Xie Shao, “Brother-in-law, have you found a position in the Eastern Capital? Since Wangye has been made Crown Prince, Brother-in-law should also be serving under him as well.”
Otherwise, how could he be unable to afford even one lamp or a servant?
Xie Shao placed the silver in front of Wen Shuse and smiled. “Just a lowly military officer. Nothing impressive.”
At that moment, the difference between the Eastern Capital and the distant fiefdom became clear. The imperial decree appointing Xie Shao had been issued over ten days ago, yet her brother had still not heard of it.
The sins she had committed had, in the end, all come back as retribution upon her brother.
After asking about Grandmother and Father’s situation and learning that both were well, Wen Shuse finally felt at ease. “It is getting late. Brother should go bathe and rest early. If there is anything else, we can talk tomorrow.”
It was indeed late. On the passenger boat, there had been a young married couple staying next door, and Wen Huai had not slept well for several nights. “All right. You two should rest early too.”
He rose and followed the servant to the outer courtyard.
Once he left, her husband shut the door. Turning back, he looked at the young lady sitting on the high stool with a guarded expression. Without the slightest attempt to hide it, he began unfastening his belt. “Dawn is still a long way. Wife need not be disappointed.”
Wen Shuse remembered what had happened in the carriage and again when they had entered the house, and her heart felt guilty and weak. “Husband, Brother is right outside. Let us do it another day. Another day, I will let you do whatever you want another day…”
Even if the Heavenly King himself came, tonight he was determined to make the young lady cry to the heavens, shout to the earth, and ask her whether he was truly only a needle prick.
He stepped forward, gripped his little wife by the waist, and lifted her onto the wooden table beside them. Ignoring her startled cry, he caught her ankle in his palm and placed it over his shoulder. Then he bit softly on her ear and said, “There’s no ‘another day’.”
That night, the lotus in the water jar shed its leaves, leaving only its snow-white stem and a few crimson-tinted stamens. Unable to withstand the night wind’s relentless battering, it rose and swayed again and again, straightening only to be bent once more. One petal trembled on the verge of falling, closing and opening again. Shortly, where the folds crossed, nectar began to seep through, dripping down drop by drop.
A few drops fell onto the vermilion wooden table, slowly spreading outward. On the floorboards, before the window ledge, along the edge of the bed… everywhere bore traces of where the storm had passed. In the end, everything was swept into the bed curtains, as if caught in a whirlwind; the lotus was swallowed whole.
The cat on the wall mewled and whimpered for half the night. Only when its voice changed, growing hoarse, did it gradually quiet down.
—
The next morning, when the young master left the room, the young lady was unable to get up. She lay sprawled amid the tangled sheets, fast asleep, her limbs weak and her eyes too heavy to open.
The young master brought in water and wiped her clean where she was sticky. She muttered and grumbled. When he touched that place, she instinctively kicked at him. Her small foot was only about the length of his palm. When it struck his chest, it had no strength at all, neither painful nor itchy.
Everything that should have been seen, done, and heard had all been obtained last night. He felt refreshed and clear-headed.
“Wife, rest first. I have a day off today, so I will take Brother to the restaurant. Aunt Qing will come pick you up later.”
Who cared where he went? She could no longer move at all. She covered herself with the blanket, nodded, and gave a muffled hum. “Mm.”
The young master rose, dressed properly, and went to Wen Huai’s room in the outer courtyard. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock, his waist suddenly twinged, and a sharp pain shot through him. It must have been because he had indulged too much last night. He could not help reaching out to support his waist.
Wen Huai happened to open the door just then. The dark circles beneath his eyes were especially obvious. He glanced at Xie Shao standing outside, supporting his waist, and a trace of sarcasm appeared in his eyes. “The Eastern Capital is dry and hot, unlike Fengcheng with all its rain. Brother-in-law should eat something cooling to reduce internal heat, lest you damage your health.”
Last night, that noise had carried across the courtyard. Although his younger sister had been sturdy since childhood, she still could not withstand being tormented like that.
It was only natural for an elder brother to feel sorry for his own sister.
They were both men, so some words did not need to be spoken plainly. Xie Shao felt somewhat embarrassed. He turned his gaze aside and silently straightened his waist, pretending not to hear. “Gao Xian is still sleeping. I will take Brother out for a walk first.”
Since Wen Huai had come to the Eastern Capital, he naturally had to go take a look around.
Last night, in the dark, he had not been able to see the residence clearly. But now, in the light of day, as he looked at the house they were staying in, he began to have second thoughts. He asked Xie Shao, “How much does this place cost?”
“It belongs to a friend, so it is half price. Twenty strings of cash a month.” Xie Shao, though he had suffered poverty himself, showed no sympathy.
“Twenty strings…” That was two months of his salary. Wen Huai’s heart was practically dripping blood.
“For two people to live here, there is no need for such a large residence…” They could just rent a small courtyard with two rooms.
Xie Shao did not answer him and instead brought him to Mixian Tower.
Previously, Wen Huai had heard the Wen family’s eldest branch mention that Mixian Tower was one of the four great restaurants of the Eastern Capital and one of the city’s great showpieces. He had not known what kind of restaurant could possess such a grand reputation. Only today did he truly broaden his horizons.
Because of the palace banquet, the Emperor had bestowed upon Mixian Tower the character “Fresh”, which now hung above the restaurant’s signboard, elevating its reputation overnight and pushing it past the other three great restaurants to the top.
Before the building, carriages and horses flowed like water and dragons. Too many people had come to reserve seats, far beyond what the restaurant could accommodate, and most were stopped outside the door.
Wen Huai stood outside the arched bridge, gazing up at the imposing building across the way. Seeing Xie Shao walk straight inside, he was somewhat afraid to step forward. “Brother-in-law, there is no need to be so polite. It is only breakfast. We can eat something simple to fill our stomachs. I still have a few cakes left from last night…” As he spoke, he still followed him.
Judging by this scene, leaving aside whether they could even get inside, even if they did, it would cost at least a few taels of silver. And the matter of Eldest Master Xie’s rebellion had surely affected the Xie family to some extent. Now that Chancellor Xie’s whole family had also arrived in the Eastern Capital, their days would only grow more difficult.
If the Wen family had not gone bankrupt before, he alone could still have supported them. But now, his pockets were completely empty.
Wen Huai advised him again, “Brother-in-law, earning money is not easy either. There are still several mouths waiting at home…”
“Commander Xie has arrived.” The servant at the door cut him off with a call and came forward to welcome them.
Wen Huai did not react at first. He even turned his head to glance around, and only when he saw that the servant’s gaze was indeed fixed on Xie Shao before him did doubt rise in his heart. Then he saw Xie Shao nod. Xie Shao turned and glanced at him, introducing him, “My wife’s elder brother has come from afar. Prepare a small private room.”
The servant was equally thrown off by this roundabout introduction. He looked at Wen Huai behind Xie Shao, then smiled and invited him in. “Young Master, please come inside.”
Wen Huai followed dazedly. He pulled at the servant beside him and asked in a low voice, “You called him Commander Xie just now? Where does he work?”
The servant froze for a moment but quickly understood. Commander Xie had only entered the Imperial Guard just over ten days ago. It was understandable that his wife’s family did not yet know. “Commander Xie is the Commander of the Imperial Palace Guard. Naturally, he works at the Imperial Palace.”
His wife’s family…
The servant suddenly jolted, his heart rising into his throat as he asked, “May I ask your honored surname, Young Master?”
“No need for honor. My surname is Wen.”
“Could you be the Second Young Master Wen?”
Wen Huai nodded. “That is me.” Then, puzzled, he asked, “How did you know?”
“Young Lady often mentions you.” The servant breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had finally learned to keep his wits about him. “Second Young Master, please come inside.”
Once Wen Huai had walked away, the servant immediately called over a waiter. “Quickly call Uncle Wen back. Second Young Master has arrived.”
Wen Huai had no attention left to spare for what the servant said afterward. His mind had already been blasted into a daze by the words Commander of the Imperial Palace Guard.
A lowly military officer. What a lie.
The Commander of the Imperial Palace Guard was at least a second-rank official. His monthly salary had to be over a hundred strings of cash, did it not?
The corner of Wen Huai’s mouth twitched. Looking at the man before him, who remained perfectly calm even after being exposed, he began to feel heartache over his ten taels of silver. A second-rank high official earning a hundred strings a month actually had the nerve to accept silver from someone who earned ten strings a month.
“Congratulations on Brother-in-law’s promotion. Promotion is a good thing. You needn’t be so modest or secretive about it.”
“Brother did not ask me,” Xie Shao replied evenly.
They went upstairs and arrived at the door of the elegant private room. Xie Shao stood outside the threshold and turned back to invite him in. After following him inside, he instructed the servant, “Bring a pot of fresh tea.”
The so-called fresh tea referred to Maojian tea leaves that had been picked within the past ten days.
Very quickly, the servant came in carrying a golden pot and filled both their cups with tea. He greeted them familiarly, “What would Commander Xie like to eat? Why didn’t Young Lady come today?”
“She has matters to attend to today.”
What matters could she possibly have? His brother-in-law was strong and vigorous, with fine abilities. She was clearly still lying in bed.
Wen Huai looked at the golden teapot on the table, then at the several delicate side dishes served on silver plates. His eyelids trembled. His grandmother and father back home were worrying that she might not have enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, yet the two of them were actually living such fine days in the Eastern Capital.
From the servant’s tone, he could tell that they came here often. Then he thought again of the ten taels of silver he had given last night…
He probably wouldn’t get that back, so he might as well eat his ten taels’ worth.
“Brother, order whatever you want,” Xie Shao said, then raised his head and instructed the servant, “Go through the menu for him.”
Wen Huai had been poor for too long and did not know where to begin. Out of habit, he asked the prices first. As soon as he heard that even the cheapest dish cost more than ten taels, his spirit immediately wilted.
Even a commander’s salary shouldn’t be squandered like this. “Let’s just…”
Xie Shao took the initiative and said, “One of each of your signature dishes.”
One of each… How much silver would that cost? Wen Huai’s heart jumped. “Brother-in-law, there is no need to spend so much. My appetite has always been small. Two simple dishes will be enough…”
“It is Brother’s first time at Mixian Tower, so naturally I must host you properly. Taste the specialties here and see how they differ from Fengcheng’s. Brother need not worry about anything else.”
Since Xie Shao was so generous in hosting him, this meal would cost at least over a hundred taels. In comparison, it seemed he himself had been petty. Wen Huai accepted respectfully. “Thank you, Brother-in-law.”
Xie Shao filled his cup with wine. “Brother, please.”
As soon as the fine wine entered the cup, a clear fragrance could be smelled. Wen Huai had not drunk wine of such quality in a long time. He lifted the cup and took a sip. As expected, it was fragrant and sweet.
He casually asked, “How much silver is this wine?”
“One hundred taels a pot.”