You’ve Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale

Chapter 84 — A Trap Within A Trap(?): Part 2

Edited by DancingDolphinsYo

A carriage stopped in front of the official residence of the Minister of State Affairs along Wuyi Row. The driver leapt down and gave the gate of the residence a couple of forceful knocks. Upon confirming that there was the sound of footsteps hurrying over, the driver then turned back to help his employer out of the carriage.

Opening the gate was a youth around thirteen or fourteen years of age. With an oval face and sharp chin, the youth had a pretty nose and lips, as well as eyes and brows that seemed to come from a drawing. After seeing the middle-aged man dressed in Confucian clothing disembark from the carriage, the youth stuck out a tongue playfully. The youth took half a step back as though wanting to hide, but the man had long noticed the situation.

“Making trouble again.” The man – the owner of the residence and the current Minister of State Affairs, Yan Wenxin – frowned unhappily. Taking a few steps forward, he rapped his knuckles on the youth’s forehead. “You’re no longer a child anymore. Stop wearing boy’s clothing all the time. You’ve been entirely spoilt by your mother.”

“Ah, Dad, it’s so much easier to move in boy’s clothing! I’ve yet to come of age, I promise I’ll be obedient in the future.” The youth was Yan Caijun, the girl who loved dressing up as a boy. She had originally only wanted to sneak a look at who the visitor was, but who would have thought that she would be caught by her father instead.

“Should you not be embroidering right now?” Yan Wenxin glared at his daughter, feeling resigned. His youngest daughter had a character like his, bold and intelligent. Yielding when she ought to, and never missing an opportunity to push the limits when she could – if only she was a boy, Yan Wenxin thought.

His two sons both had a sedate and gentle personality, just like his wife. In the future, although they would be able to progress smoothly in court, it would be hard for them to excel. Without much ambition, they would pretty much only have a smooth-sailing life by relying on their family.

“Embroidery is too boring. After straining the embroidery hoop, Mom chased me out.” With how Yan Caijun’s eyes were sparkling, how could Yan Wenxin not see that his daughter’s actions had been deliberate?

“Go back and apologise to your mother. If you’re feeling too antsy for embroidery, then go and study instead. Tomorrow, I’ll test you on recitation.” Yan Wenxin waved his hand, chasing his daughter away. No matter how relaxed the barrier between males and females in Great Xia was, there was no reason for the noble and aristocratic young mistress of their family to parade herself everywhere, running about wildly outside.

“Which book should I memorise from?” The girl wailed, but she did not dare go against her father. Her lips pouted heavily, and blowing her cheeks out, she walked to the study.

“Hold on.” Yan Wenxin suddenly called out to her. Yan Caijun’s eyes lit up, and she bounced back to her father in a placating manner. Shaking his head, he could not help but give a knock on his daughter’s brows. “Ask Huaixiu to come to my study. If you don’t recite well tomorrow, your punishment will be to copy all the books at home once. You’ll only be allowed to step out of the house when you’re done.”

“Ai!” Yan Caijun screamed, getting frustrated.

“Hurry up.” Yan Wenxin nudged his daughter’s shoulder, before turning around and quickly walking to his own study.

Yan Caijun naturally did not dare disobey her father’s instructions, and she hurried off to pass the message to Huaixiu.

Fifteen minutes later, a quiet knock sounded on the door of Yan Wenxin’s study. Yan Wenxin was seated by the table, looking at some of the letters on it. With a low voice, he asked, “Is that Huaixiu? Come on in.”

The door to the study was pushed open. Outside was a young man, dressed in plain green clothing, with a straight and slender figure. He called out respectfully, “Yifu1.” Only then did he enter the study, closing the door firmly behind him. With a slightly unsteady gait, he walked over to Yan Wenxin, bowing deeply.

“Yifu, calling Huaixiu here, do you have any instructions for me?” The young man was Yan Wenxin’s adopted son. When he was born, he had been abandoned on the path to Chongxu Guan, and had already cried to the point of losing his voice. Completely covered with mosquito bites, his little, tender body was bruised all over. It was a complete coincidence that Madam Yan happened to come across him.

At that time, Madam Yan had already given birth to their oldest son, and in her belly was their second son. Seeing how pitiful the baby was, she picked the child up and brought him home. At first, she planned on raising him as a servant, but when he was three or four years old, Yan Wenxin noticed that the child was very clever and ambitious. Knowing how gentle both his sons were, he had been pondering if he should adopt someone to raise as a blade that could protect the Yan family. As such, he decided to adopt Huaixiu, changing his name to Yan Huaixiu.

Today, Yan Huaixiu was Yan Wenxin’s confidant. Any matters that Yan Wenxin could not deal with openly, Yan Huaixiu would deal with them under the table.

“Take a seat.” Yan Wenxin smiled gently at his adopted son, pointing at a stool next to him. “Have you investigated the things written in these letters?”

Yan Huaixiu did not sit down. Instead, his body was still bent in a respectful bow as he replied, “Yes, I’ve investigated every single one of them. Everything written inside is all true.”

“Oh.” Yan Wenxin nodded, then he repeated himself. “Take a seat.”

This time round, Yan Huaixiu finally sat down on the stool. His head hung low, and he did not look at his adopted father directly in the eyes, an image of humility and obedience. Yan Wenxin looked at his adopted son’s head of dark hair, his full forehead, his ivory skin, as well as the smooth expanse of his nape currently exposed — they gave off an inexplicable, indescribable sensualness.

“I’m very assured by how you handle matters.” Yan Wenxin reached out, giving Yan Huaixiu a light pat on his shoulder. “You don’t have to be so reserved around your adopted father. You weren’t like this when you were a child, but you’ve become more and more distant as you grew older. Is it because I’ve been too strict?”

“No, no. Yifu has always treated Huaixiu very well!” Yan Huaixiu hurriedly lifted his head after hearing what Yan Wenxin said. His face was full of anxiety, and his eyes were filled with respect and piety. He seemed deeply afraid that Yan Wenxin would not believe him. “It’s just that Huaixiu is yifu’s servant, how can I…”

“Ai– Don’t say things like that. I’m more than well aware of your sacrifices for the Yan family. Even those two brothers of yours are not as capable as you. If not for you being my right hand man, how could I have such a tight and steady grip on my position in court? You must think more highly of yourself.” Yan Wenxin again patted his adopted son’s shoulder.

“Many thanks for your praise.” Yan Huaixiu could not help but stand up. Again, he bowed towards his adopted father, only to be pressed back into his seat.

“Today, I bumped into that Ping Yifan at Bai-gongzi’s little concert.” Now that he had gotten the pleasantries over with, Yan Wenxin went straight to the topic. He tapped his fingers where the letters lay on the table. “This Ping Yifan, his identity is completely valid and proper. There’s nothing that stands out in particular.”

Written in the letter were details about Ping Yifan’s identity and background. Everything, from his birth to his ancestors in the past four generations, was all listed clearly in those pages.

“Yes, Ping Yifan’s identity is very clean.” Yan Huaixiu responded. “One of his ancestors, four generations past, was an Imperial Scholar, and his family could be considered a scholarly one. However, as they had a lack of a social network in the capital, he had been assigned to a small county in the south to be an official there. His achievements were ordinary, and he only returned to the capital after his resignation. When it came to the generation of Ping Yifan’s grandfather, their family was in decline. They barely managed to scrap a merit scholar title to prop up the family, working as a secretary in Chengtian Manor. As for the generation of Ping Yifan’s father, they did not even manage to attain the rank of a scholar. As such, they were reduced to living in Winding Liantang Path, writing romantic novels for a living. The man only managed to have a son in his old age, and that’s Ping Yifan.”

“Mn. These were all noted down in the letter.” Yan Wenxin nodded, confirming his adopted son’s attentiveness.

When Ping Yifan was born, his father was close to fifty, while his mother was younger than his father by around twenty years. She used to be a beggar, and seemed to have some sort of mental disability. She was a little foolish, with issues recognising people. However, as she had a very delicate, fair face, she was brought home by Ping Yifan’s father, and was then joined by marriage through lies and coaxing. Only after nearly a decade did she then give birth to Ping Yifan. A reason for the delay of his birth might also have been that Ping Yifan’s father was afraid that her body was not that clean, after having roamed through the streets.

Not too long after Ping Yifan understood more about the world, his father passed away because of illness. At that time, Ping Yifan had just reached thirteen years of age. His mother was unreliable, as she basically was like a child. As such, he could only rely on himself to support his family. Studying was clearly not a practical use of his time, and so he applied to work as a sales assistant in a shop selling sundries. By the time he reached his twenties, he too owned his own shop, and now, it could be considered one of the rather reputable shops in the capital.

However, being so ordinary his entire life, how could he have attracted the attention of Yan Wenxin, the Minister of State Affairs, as well as one of the emperor’s favourite officials?

Yan Wenxin was naturally more concerned about something else.

“Say, with such achievements at his young age, what did Ping Yifan rely on?” Yan Huaixiu glanced at his adopted father, before asking hesitantly, “Is yifu asking Huaixiu?”

“Of course.” Yan Wenxin stroked his beard, smiling brightly at his adopted son.

“I’ve confirmed it. The current Ping Yifan is not that Ping Yifan from the Winding Liantang Path. When Ping Yifan was sixteen years of age, he had left for the south with a group of travelling merchants. Originally, he was planning on seeking out some rare and interesting items for the shop owner, but later on, he lost all contact. When he once again returned to the capital, he was nineteen years old, and he never met the people he once knew. After taking his mother away, he opened up his own shop. No one knows where the money to open his shop came from, and it wasn’t until the Peng Society gathering a few days ago that he then once again appeared in public.” As Huaixiu spoke, he took out two drawings from his pockets and spread them out in front of Yan Wenxin.

On the left was a drawing of a youth around fifteen or sixteen years of age. His face and eyes were round, and with his delicate looks, he was very pleasing to the eye. As for the drawing on the right, it was the face of the current Ping Yifan whom Yan Wenxin had just seen not too long ago. Ordinary, placid, and his eyes seemed rather dull. However, they had a good shape to them, and it made one feel warm when looking at them.

It was a pair of charming, alluring eyes.

Yan Wenxin tapped on the left portrait, then the right. Although a person would look different as he aged, the changes in his appearance from age sixteen to twenty-five would not be very big. He would at most grow into his features, looking a little more mature. It did not make sense that even the shape of his eyes would change as well.

The sixteen year old Ping Yifan had a pair of round eyes, lively and clever; the twenty-five year old Ping Yifan had a pair of almond shaped eyes, alluring, gentle and steady.

“So there are also intelligent people among the southern barbarians.” Yan Wenxin folded up the two drawings, carefully keeping them away. Towards that group of barbarians, he now held them higher in regards.

The current Ping Yifan was actually an illegitimate son of the previous barbarian king. Many years ago, he had taken over Ping Yifan’s identity, planting roots in the capital to keep an ear out for news about the Great Xia, as well as accumulating wealth and riches for the southern barbarians.

As Ping Yifan’s shop dealt with sundries, it was not suspicious for him to have a group of travelling merchants under him. When he occasionally pulled out new and interesting trinkets, he could use the excuse that he had traded for it. Over the recent years, his business had been expanding. Providing army rations would not be an issue for him, and if not for Guan Shanjin having suppressed the southern barbarians, many territories might have been swallowed up by them.

However, it was because of Guan Shanjin that the wealth and riches the southern barbarians had amassed was of no use at all. It had to be known that the Great Southern Garrison General was not someone easy to deal with, and one could use neither the soft nor the hard approach with him. His attacks were like thunderbolts striking down from the sky, while his defenses were impenetrable. Previously, Yue Chonghua had finally managed to break a tiny crack in that wall, but he was dealt with in the blink of an eye. At this moment, the males of the Yue family might not even have arrived in the Northwest region, and it was unknown how many of them could survive the journey, or how many would be able to survive for beyond a year.

It seemed like the one working with Yue Chonghua was Yan Wenxin.

He had been eyeing the benefits that could be reaped from the southern barbarians for a very long time already. It was known that both the iron and salt trades were under the control of the authorities, and the profits were not small. The southern barbarians produced both salt and iron, but Guan Shanjin held a very tight control over them. The southern barbarian king had a lot of gloom and depression woe within him that could not be relieved, but unfortunately, there was no way for him to make his way past the gate of Guan Shanjin. As such, he could only gaze at his hoard and sigh.

“He’s also received information about that matter of Bastion City already?” Now that the failure of a few months past was mentioned, Yan Wenxin could not help but frown. He had been hiding behind the scenes with regards to the cooperation between the southern barbarians and the Yue family. Although the liaison had been dug out by Guan Shanjin, it was unlikely that this business could be linked to Yan Wenxin himself.

However, having a road that he spent years building sealed just like that, Yan Wenxin could not help but feel bothered. This was also the reason why he had been deliberately tripping up Guan Shanjin in court. However, so as not to end up alerting his opponent, Yan Wenxin dared not be too aggressive in his deeds.

Guan Shajin was ostentatious and wilful, like an untamed runaway steed that was hard to control. Towards this young man, the emperor always closed an eye, not even taking offence and allowing Guan Shanjin to basically be a local tyrant at the southern border. Now that the young man had finally returned to the capital to give a debrief, the emperor too had no intentions of taking back the half of the military tally that was a proof of authority. It seemed that the emperor planned on letting Guan Shanjin return to the south to guard against the southern barbarians.

Yan Wenxin dared not underestimate this junior, and he also understood that it was impossible to win the young man through other means either. Guan Shanjin was in no need of anything. As the Great Southern Garrison General, as well as the son of the Lord Protector, he was deeply trusted by the emperor, and he did not lack for power nor wealth. He even had the strength of one-third of Great Xia’s army behind him, and there was no way that Yan Wenxin would be able to sweeten him up.

It was said that to understand a person’s morality, one could start from their marriage and the way they dealt with things. However, the Lord Protector and his entire lineage was famed in Great Xia for never accepting a concubine, and so there was no internal strife within his residence. About six to seven years ago, Guan Shanjin even openly declared that his interest only lay with men, and he had no intentions of marrying a wife and continuing his line. Seeing that he was from a politically influential family holding great power, for the emperor, how could anyone else be more reassuring than Guan Shanjin?

Because of this declaration, the emperor could still tolerate Guan Shanjin’s ever so slight arrogance.

As for Guan Shanjin, although he was arrogant, he was very adept at not going beyond the boundaries. His understanding of the emperor was very accurate, and he had never once aggravated the emperor by pushing beyond the acceptable limits. Some fools only saw Guan Shanjin’s wilfulness, forwardness and boldness, but they never understood his sophistication in handling matters, and how clever his means were.

To Yan Wenxin, Guan Shanjin could be stated as the one enemy in Great Xia that was the hardest to deal with. Despite so, he had no choice but to think of a way to get rid of this obstacle. If he wanted to reap the benefits of a private alliance with the southern barbarians, he had to rip out every tiny shred of Guan Shanjin’s power in the south.

Huaixiu was also a clever man, and he could see his adopted father’s displeasure. After a bout of silence, he then answered, “Ping Yifan should already have known about the matter of Bastion City. With how the Yue family was dealt with, the southern barbarians too had suffered a great loss.”

“They must be panicking now too. Has someone been sent to get in contact with Ping Yifan yet?” Yan Wenxin sneered. In his eyes, the failure of this matter was entirely the fault of the southern barbarians. The Yue family was the number one merchant of Bastion City, but how could they seek out a collaborator with such an obvious motive? There was no need to even mention how inadequately Yue Dade had educated his children. In the capital, there was no one who would dare eye anything that belonged to Guan Shanjin, but this daughter of the Yue family was stupid enough to do so.

“When Guan Shanjin returned to the capital, he had sealed off all paths to deliver messages between the southern barbarians and Great Xia. He had even planted a saboteur next to the southern barbarian king. For the past few months, things have not been very calm among the southern barbarians, and so the southern barbarian king did not have the mood to contact Ping Yifan.” Huaixiu hung his head, his expression full of self-reproach. The people he had sent to the south had all been caught. If not for quickly tying up the ends on his side, he might even have been tracked down and caught. However, he had also paid a great price for this. After carefully maintaining his network for so many years, it was now all for naught, and he even lost the money he had spent investing in these people.

Yan Huaixiu had only managed to gather information about the southern barbarians through various other means. However, he still had no ability to find out who the saboteur was that Guan Shanjin had planted, and what he planned to do later as well.

Yan Wenxin naturally did not think that Guan Shanjin would just stop there.

“As expected, he’s a harsh and fierce one.” Yan Wenxin rapped the table, unable to conceal the manic in his tone. However, despite the viciousness of Guan Shanjin’s methods, Yan Wenxin was also not an amateur. Currently, it was still hard to tell who would be the victor at the end. “Since there’s no issue with Ping Yifan’s identity, that’s perfect. Do you still have the token of trust that you received during your transaction with the southern barbarians?”

“Yes, yifu. I still have the token of trust. Other than me, no one else will be able to get their hands on it.”

“Mn. Take the token and go look for Ping Yifan.” For now, the southern barbarians had no way of making a move, and it was the perfect opportunity for them to operate right now.

If they could directly rope Ping Yifan in, it would mean that they would have a hold around the throats of the southern barbarians. At that time, once his men took over the land beyond the southern borders, there would also be no fear that the southern barbarians would riot.

“Yes, Huaixiu will go now.” Yan Huaixiu cupped his hands together, withdrawing immediately. This time, he had to properly settle what his adopted father had instructed him to.

When Huaixiu was gone, Yan Wenxin again spread out the two drawings of Ping Yifan, studying them carefully. He especially paid attention to the older Ping Yifan. Those facial features gave him a sense of unease, as they gave him a vague impression of someone, but he could not put to name who that person was.

A knock once again sounded on the door of his study, and through it came the steward’s voice. “Lord Yan, Mr. Lu has sent someone over to request for a meeting.”

Lu Zezhi had sent someone over? Yan Wenxin was stunned for a moment, then stroked his beard, smiling. “Quick, invite him in.”

In no time, the steward brought Lu Zezhi’s personal servant to the study. That servant looked smart and bright. He did not lift his head up after bowing, and he said, “My master has sent me to inform Lord Yan that after consideration, my master has decided to consent to the matter you’ve mentioned previously. However, my master hopes that you can make him a promise, and it’s best if it’s written down in black and white.”

“Oh? He’s consented? I never would have expected that this would be his answer.” Yan Wenxin raised a brow. He had seen Lu Zezhi a few times. Towards that graceful man dressed in white, he had no lasting impressions of him. It was true that Lu Zezhi’s appearance was pretty good, but it was not memorable. Whenever he tried to recall it, the image was always blurry and indistinct. He did not know why Guan Shanjin would like a man like this.

Yan Wenxin’s response sent an inexplicable jolt through the servant. He could not help but look up, glancing at Yan Wenxin, then he hurriedly looked back down, pretending that nothing had happened.

“What promise does he want?” Yan Wenxin did not mind the action of the servant. Instead, his question was accompanied by a lazy smile.

“My master means to let Lord Yan’s sincerity lead the way.” This reply was very clever. It seemed as though no request had been made, but the intention could not be any more clear.

With Lu Zezhi’s current status, what sort of help did he need from Yan Wenxin? The man standing next to him was Guan Shanjin, the Great Southern Garrison General himself!

“My sincerity?” Yan Wenxin chuckled, stroking his beard. “Mr. Lu is sure reserved.”

The implication was that Yan Wenxin was scorning Lu Zezhi for his small-mindedness and awkwardness. He could not help being even more curious how such a person could become someone cherished by Guan Shanjin.

“Lord Yan, my master is still awaiting your response.”

“As a servant, you sure are anxious! Mr. Lu is really good at training. Look at how loyal you are! Naturally, I’ll show my sincerity, but I also have two matters that I’d like to ask. If you can give me the answers, I’ll offer the sincerity your master wants to the best of my ability.” Yan Wenxin’s gaze towards the servant hid none of his disdain. A master’s moral conduct could be seen through his servants, and this Lu Zezhi was truly intriguing.

“Please, ask anything Lord Yan likes.”

“Let’s tentatively assume that you understand what’s the agreement between your master and me.” Seeing how the servant shivered slightly, shifting about in unease, Yan Wenxin continued, already clear on the matter. “Why would Mr. Lu consent to this agreement? The person next to him is the son of the Lord Protector. Would his requests not be satisfied fully?”

This question left the servant momentarily speechless. His head hung lower, his chin almost touching his chest.

“Also, isn’t Mr. Lu worried that if the matter is exposed, Guan Shanjin would no longer dote on him?” Yan Wenxin gave a forceful knock on the table. A fierce shudder ran through the servant. He retreated a couple of steps, and he still had no response. “Why? The cat got your tongue? Or is it beneath you to answer my questions?”

“No, I— I… Even if I were to have all the courage in the world, I wouldn’t dare not answer…” The servant wiped at his sweat continuously, and even his breathing became heavier. Yan Wenxin no longer pushed him. Instead, with great composure, he picked up his teacup and took a sip from it, before flipping through a book of poetry casually.

After quite some time, the servant seemed to have calmed himself down. He stammered, “In response to Lord Yan, my master understands all this. But… But things may not always go in the manner one would like it to, and my master too needs some help. Although a large tree does provide ample shade, but to attach oneself to only just one tree, one would sometimes still have to suffer from the freezing wind and the scorching sun.”

“These words are not very cultured, but they do make great sense. Mr. Lu has trained you well.” Yan Wenxin laughed, pulling back his previously domineering aura.

“Since Mr. Lu trusts me, then I cannot disappoint him.” Yan Wenxin deftly ground his ink and picked up a brush. After placing a few sentences down on paper, he blew the ink dry and folded it up. “Bring this back to your master, and tell him it’s my sincerity. I’m clearly aware of which tree Mr. Lu wants the most. Since he is helping me, I can also help him maintain his hold over the shade of the tree he wants.”

The servant stepped forward and received the note respectfully, carefully tucking it into his clothes. “On behalf of my master, I thank Lord Yan.”

“No need for the courtesies, I also thank Mr. Lu for his help.” Yan Wenxin smiled at the servant, then instructed his steward, “Send him out.”

The servant too did not dare remain any longer. With great trepidation and awe, he left, following behind the steward. Before he walked away, Yan Wenxin even observed him pressing down on where the note was hidden.

The study regained its tranquility. Yan Wenxin slowly sipped on the tea that the emperor had gifted him, his eyes lowered in thought.