The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 54

Jiang Jingchun angrily glared at Gu Huaisheng.

If Gu Huaisheng was pretending to be asleep, he’d better not let her find out.

He’d nearly squashed her to death.

The two of them were later practically pressed together, which left Jiang Jingchun no room to continue reading.

She simply set the storybook aside and stopped reading.

She wanted to get up and leave, but he blocked her way, so she had no choice but to lie there stiffly beside him.

And just like that, as they lay there quietly, Jiang Jingchun slowly drifted off to sleep too.

The two lay on the couch. Their breaths soon mingled into one soft rhythm. Time slipped by unnoticed as the skies outside dimmed, and the moonlight gently crept across their faces. A cold breeze blew in through the window, but as they leaned against each other, the chill couldn’t reach them.

When Jiang Jingchun woke up, he was already gone.

She had no idea how she had fallen asleep beside Gu Huaisheng. When she woke, her mind felt foggy. She swung her legs over the side of the couch to get up, only to discover that her embroidered shoes had been removed at some point.

She lowered her head and saw them neatly placed beside her.

It didn’t take much to figure out who had taken them off—it must have been Gu Huaisheng.

She didn’t think much of it. After all, nothing unusual ever happened when they lay next to each other. This time, his clean-freakness had probably acted up again. Seeing her wear shoes on the chaise must have bothered him enough to pull them off.

When she looked up, she noticed Gu Huaisheng seated at a desk nearby, working. At some point, he had moved his paperwork into the bedchamber.

At the moment, he was leaning forward in his seat with his head lowered. He seemed fully engrossed in his tasks. The candlelight illuminated his face, which made his pale complexion appear even more striking.

Jiang Jingchun hadn’t expected to see him there and froze for a moment. But as she observed him, she noticed that his expression had returned to normal. Compared to earlier, he seemed much better and calmer. 

The sorrow and pain he’d shown earlier seemed to be fleeting. They’d disappeared just as quickly as they had come.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t give it much thought. That night, she went to bed early. Not long after, Gu Huaisheng stopped working, washed up, and extinguished the candlelight before lying down beside her.

The following days passed peacefully. Gu Huaisheng didn’t provoke her and gave way to her at every turn. Since he behaved this way, Jiang Jingchun also had no reason to lose her temper with him.

Soon enough, the day for the polo match arrived—the tenth day of the tenth month.

Gu Huaisheng had the day off and stayed home. After lunch, he saw Jiang Jingchun preparing to leave after her nap and asked, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Jingchun was already heading out when she heard his question. Without turning back, she responded, “Didn’t I mention before? I’m going to check on the shops. Why do you keep asking? I’m not running away. Why do you care so much about where I go?”

She fired off her response quickly and didn’t give him a chance to say more. Then, she turned her head and walked out.

It was the third time he had asked, after all.

It wasn’t as if she was afraid of Gu Huaisheng finding out who she was going to play with. However, he could do something annoying if he did. Even if he told her it was fine, she couldn’t know what schemes he might be brewing inwardly after finding out.

She’d rather avoid unnecessary trouble and just not tell him anything.

Gu Huaisheng silently watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from his view. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

She made it seem like he was being unreasonable. He wasn’t going to stop her from going out. He was merely asking a simple question—what was the harm in that?

Now, he was curious about where she was going and whether she was up to something she didn’t want him to know about. Otherwise, why would she get so impatient every time he asked her about it? 

The way she acted was a bit suspicious.

Gu Huaisheng sat alone inside the room and stayed quiet for a long while.

Eventually, a servant entered to inform him that a colleague of his from the yamen had arrived.

He Chuan followed a servant in.

He’d come today to discuss the infamous battle at Hangu Pass, which involved Shen Changqing.

He Chuan had a family member who worked in the Ministry of War. He was an old official with many years of experience, and the position that he held was also a significant one. If anyone could offer fresh insights into the case, it was him. 

His visit today was regarding this. 

Gu Huaisheng set aside his earlier thoughts about Jiang Jingchun and rose to greet He Chuan.

Gu Huaisheng asked to He Chuan, “Did he tell you anything?”

He was eager to learn more about the case.

He Chuan said, “I spoke to my uncle, but he wouldn’t say much…”

He Chuan’s youngest uncle held the position of vice minister in the Ministry of War.

The case of the governor-general’s treason during the Hangu Pass battle had been ruled on by the senior grand secretary—Wang Shun, himself. To reopen these old wounds now would be to challenge him, wouldn’t it? It was no wonder that Vice Minister He refused to discuss it.

Hearing this, Gu Huaisheng fell silent for a moment.

If Vice Minister He didn’t want to talk… well, that meant he had to find a way to get him to speak. He asked He Chuan, “Is there a way for me to meet him?”

When He Chuan had asked him about the matter earlier, Vice Minister He had refused to say anything. Gu Huaisheng had no choice but to meet him personally and find the opportunity to pry something out of him.

He Chuan thought for a moment before suggesting, “How about later today? I’ll arrange for us to meet at a restaurant. My uncle is quite easy to draw into conversation. If I can’t get him to talk, you can give it a try—eventually, we’ll get what you’re looking for.”

How filial of He Chuan to help an outsider extract information from his own uncle.

Gu Huaisheng couldn’t help but chuckle after hearing what He Chuan said. Then, he said, “Thank you.”

With He Chuan’s help, things might just go more smoothly. 

Gu Huaisheng instructed Shuliang to book a private room at the restaurant, then turned back to He Chuan. “If your uncle finds out you’ve conspired with someone to deceive him, won’t he hold it against you?”

“He’s not that sort of person,” He Chuan said. After a brief pause, he added, “I know you’re trying to clear the governor-general’s name, and I can’t quite believe he’d do such a thing myself. But let me offer a word of caution—be careful. It’s best if no one else finds out what you’re investigating…”

The people they were going up against held great power, and despite being the man that he was, he might find it difficult to contend with them.

However, it was already too late to worry about secrecy. Wang Shun and the others likely already knew. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have planted such deliberate clues to lure him out on his wedding night.

Gu Huaisheng simply responded with an ‘Mm’ to acknowledge He Chuan’s advice.

After their conversation, He Chuan went home and set up the meeting with Vice Minister He.

Around the time evening approached and the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky into darkness, Gu Huaisheng set out.

A private room at Quwei Pavilion, a century-old establishment located in a bustling district, had been reserved for the meeting. Even the elegant signage at the entrance was enough to show that the restaurant was extraordinary. The interior was lavishly decorated, and the occasional sound of a guqin—a musical instrument, added an air of refined elegance to the place.

The private room was on the second floor of the building. Gu Huaisheng went ahead into the private room and waited there for He Chuan and Vice Minister He. He looked at the dim light and estimated that the two of them would probably arrive soon. As he waited, he stood by the window of the room and looked at the people coming and going below.

The setting sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky grew darker with each passing minute. Gu Huaisheng lowered his gaze, and his eyes fell upon the lively scene below.

Beneath the warm glow of the sunset, servants shouted and argued, children darted through the streets, and vendors and peddlers bustled about. The air was thick with the earthy vibrance of city life.

Gu Huaisheng idly watched the scene from the building as he waited for He Chuan and Vice Minister He to arrive. Yet before He Chuan appeared, a familiar figure caught his eye…

A young girl, wearing a peach-pink floral dress, leapt lightly off a carriage. Her hair was styled into a simple single-coiled bun, though it looked a little messy—for what reason, he didn’t know.

Gu Huaisheng’s gaze lingered on the figure—Jiang Jingchun. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. For her to look like this… where had she been today?

Before he could ponder further, two more figures descended from the carriage.

It was Chen Muqing and Song Xuan’an.

Gu Huaisheng’s eyes locked onto them. He watched them as they entered the restaurant.

The three of them laughed and chatted as they walked, side-by-side.

Jiang Jingchun rarely smiled so brightly at home. Yet here she was, beaming with joy just because she wasn’t spending time with him. Was she this happy simply being out and about?

A sneer tugged at the corner of Gu Huaisheng’s lips. His expression turned colder by the moment.

Ah, so that was why. No wonder she refused to tell him where she was going earlier.

And what if she had told him? Would he have thrown a tantrum and forbidden her from seeing them?

Of course he’d let them meet. What was the big deal?

Why did she have to keep it from him? Instead of being truthful, they were acting like a pair of clandestine lovers sneaking around—what was this supposed to mean?

If she’d just told him, he wouldn’t have minded. The fact that she didn’t tell him, though… That was what unsettled him.

He felt gnawing fear and anxiety at watching his wife hide her outings with another man from him…

Earlier that day, Jiang Jingchun, Chen Muqing, and Song Xuan’an had spent the afternoon playing polo in the northern suburbs. After that, they thought that it had been a while since they’d dined together, so they decided to head to a restaurant for a meal.

However, as Jiang Jingchun hopped off the carriage, she immediately felt a gaze boring into her. The sensation was oddly familiar… She instinctively raised her head and glanced around but saw no one.

Since she found nothing amiss, she dismissed the thought and followed her friends into the restaurant.

Gu Huaisheng retracted his gaze and turned to find Shuliang, then said a few words to him. Shuliang was visibly surprised at his words but didn’t ask any questions. After hearing Gu Huaisheng’s instructions, he quickly left to carry out the task.

Gu Huaisheng returned to the table and sat down. He idly toyed with a cup in his hand with an unreadable expression on his face.

While he was lost in thought, noise from outside signaled He Chuan’s arrival. He was accompanied by Vice Minister He.

Hearing the commotion, Gu Huaisheng snapped back to his senses and stood up to greet them.

He walked over to the pair and greeted Vice Minister He.

He said, “Greetings, Vice Minister.”

Vice Minister He was surprised by Gu Huaisheng’s courtesy. He found it a bit odd, but didn’t dwell on it. Quickly, he replied, “No need for such formalities, Young Marquis. My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

The vice minister was a third-rank official, which meant he was one rank higher than Gu Huaisheng. People said that ‘a higher ranked person, even just by a half level, could crush someone to death.’ However, Vice Minister He didn’t use his higher rank to act arrogantly. Instead, he acted humbly. He exuded the decorum of a seasoned man in his forties or fifties, with mannerisms that were both proper and refined.

Their exchange brimmed with politeness.

Vice Minister He had a faint idea of why Gu Huaisheng had invited him here today. After all, He Chuan had already mentioned it earlier. Now that He Chuan had bridged and created a connection between them, it seemed likely the discussion would involve some unresolved matter from the past.

As the two sat down, Gu Huaisheng had the dishes served. He handed a pair of chopsticks to Vice Minister He, who quickly took them.

Gu Huaisheng hadn’t opened his mouth to say anything, so Vice Minister He spoke up first. He said, “Young Marquis… I believe I know why you’ve asked me here today…”

He was reluctant to revisit these old matters. He preferred to let bygones be bygones. What was the point of unnecessarily dredging up the past?

But before he could finish his sentence, Gu Huaisheng interrupted him. Gu Huaisheng picked up a piece of fish and placed it into Vice Minister He’s bowl.

Gu Huaisheng smiled and said, “You overthink, my lord. We’re just having a meal today. Try this fish—I heard it’s a famous imperial dish from the previous dynasty, Wine-Braised Topmouth Culter.”

Vice Minister He paused with the interruption. Upon seeing Gu Huaisheng pick up the fish for him, he swallowed back the rest of his words. Seeing the fish in his bowl, he said nothing more and took a bite.

The fish carried a fragrant aroma of rice wine. Its taste was both fresh, and it had a nice texture, with a pleasant bounce to each bite.

It was a fine dish indeed. No wonder that it had been served as an imperial dish.

“This is excellent fish, indeed,” Vice Minister He remarked.

Hearing this, Gu Huaisheng picked up another piece of fish for him and began to explain the origins of this particular fish.

“The topmouth culter is abundant along the Huai River. This fish is extremely fragile; once it leaves the water, it’s practically impossible to keep it alive.”

The vice minister found this curious and asked, “Oh? It dies as soon as it’s out of the water? But it’s not slaughtered fresh here in the capital, is it? The journey from the Huai River to the capital takes at least ten days or half a month. How can it still taste so fresh?”

Gu Huaisheng explained, “To preserve the fish’s texture and freshness, fishermen usually marinate it immediately after catching it. They use ingredients like wine from fermented grains and salt. This method not only preserves the texture but also imparts a fragrant aroma of the fermented grains after cooking. Wine-Braised Topmouth Culter has become a signature dish of the region.”

That explained it. No wonder the fish carried a faint aroma of wine.

As he spoke, Gu Huaisheng chuckled softly. He put down his chopsticks and rested his hands on the table, then suddenly asked, “My lord, do you know how the locals along the Huai River actually prepare this fish?”

“Isn’t it marinated in wine?”

“No,” Gu Huaisheng replied. “The marination process is rather labour-intensive and is only done when the fish is sold elsewhere. When locals eat it themselves, they usually slaughter it and eat it on the same day.”

Gu Huaisheng’s voice was clear and crisp, and it carried a hint of cool detachment. The autumn wind whispered into the room, brushing past their faces with the sharpness of a blade.

He continued, “The fish that leaps out of the water first is always the one to die first. As soon as a fish breaks the surface, it catches the attention of fishermen and is immediately scooped up with a net. When the fish leaps out, it creates ripples across the water, but once it’s taken away, the surface returns to calm. Yet, even when no fish emerge, the net is still there, poised to plunge back into the water and disturb the surface again, ready to catch the next fish.

“The net hangs just above the water, and though the surface may appear calm, it is never truly at peace.”

Though ostensibly talking about fish, who couldn’t hear the deeper meaning in Gu Huaisheng’s words?

He Chuan, who had remained silent until now, sighed and said. “Other people are the knife; I am but the fish on the chopping block.”

In the dark and stifling political atmosphere of the court, who wasn’t a fish on the butcher’s board? The surface appeared serene, but underneath was a roiling storm. And who could predict when the net hovering above their heads would descend?

Gu Huaisheng bluntly said, “The defeat at Hangu Pass was but one incident. But who’s to say that in a year or two, the same tragedy won’t play out again? The fish that broke the surface has already died, but the water has been stirred, and the next fish marked for death—who will it be?”

If Gu Huaisheng’s teacher wasn’t really guilty of treason, then the real traitor had to be someone else.

If the truth behind that year’s events wasn’t uncovered, not only would the governor-general’s death have been in vain, but the northern borders would remain imperiled.

Gu Huaisheng said, “I only want to know if the order to engage in battle back then was truly issued by the governor-general himself. If something goes wrong after this, it certainly wouldn’t implicate you, my lord.”

Vice Minister He had been deeply swayed by his words earlier. He had to say, if Gu Huaisheng didn’t work as a censor, he would make an excellent lobbyist.

Upon hearing that what Gu Huaisheng wanted to know turned out to be such a simple answer, the vice minister finally spoke.

He said, “The order was indeed issued by the governor-general himself.”

Hearing this, Gu Huaisheng thought back to the records, which described the defeat as a case of ‘the commanding general underestimating the enemy, which led to battle at the pass.’ The incident indeed seemed like a case of the governor-general making a poor command and allowing the Mongolian cavalry to breach the pass.

But then, the vice minister added, “That battle back then—there was a chance that they would have achieved victory. The situation was dire, indeed, but all previous instructions from the command post, for the soldiers that faced the Mongolian force, had been accurate. Every move had been steady and calculated.

“The decision to engage at Hangu Pass, while risky, might have led to a surprising victory based on the governor-general’s prior successes in command. In short, if there wasn’t treason involved, one wouldn’t be able to say for sure whether he would’ve won or lost that battle.”

In the end, they left their meal unfinished.

After saying this, Vice Minister He stood and took his leave.

He Chuan exchanged a quick farewell with Gu Huaisheng before following his uncle out.

After receiving Vice Minister He’s answer, Gu Huaisheng began piecing everything together in his mind.

It all started to connect.

The suspicions he had harboured for days were falling into place.

When all other possibilities had been ruled out, the remaining one—however improbable, must be the truth.

Shen Changqing had indeed engaged in battle at the pass, but he had not underestimated the enemy.

He would never gamble with so many lives. If he had chosen to engage, it meant he had a strategy.

However, someone else had committed treason.

Someone had tipped off the Mongols in advance, so in that battle, the governor-general’s army suffered a crushing defeat.

As for the so-called evidence of the governor-general’s treason, that must also have been fabricated by other people to frame him.

Whoever could get their hands on the governor-general’s seal had to be someone close to him, someone he trusted.

That person colluded with the Mongolian khan, obtained the khan’s seal, then stole the governor-general’s seal and stamped it… thus creating a piece of evidence that was seamless and irrefutable.

That, coupled with the catastrophic defeat at Hangu Pass, only became all the more damning.

Had they won that battle back then, the situation might have been easier to explain. But unfortunately, the loss had been absolute and devastating.

Thus, the accusation of Shen Changqing colluding with the enemy was almost impossible to shake off.

Gu Huaisheng’s line of investigation wasn’t wrong. The subordinate they were hunting down, who was hiding and being protected by Wang Shun, was likely the one who had betrayed the governor-general.

Clear… everything was clear now.

Today’s conversation only confirmed what Gu Huaisheng had already suspected.

After wrapping up matters there, Gu Huaisheng didn’t linger. He stood, left the room, and stepped into the hallway.

Once he was outside, he asked Shuliang, “Where is she? Which side room?”

Shuliang quickly gave him a location, and Gu Huaisheng started heading there.

—

Jiang Jingchun and her two friends had entered a private room. They casually ordered a few dishes and began to wait.

While waiting for the food, they chatted as they always did.

The events of the provincial-level imperial examinations had affected Song Xuan’an to some degree. He had grown quieter, more reserved, and less talkative.

As Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing conversed, Song Xuan’an occasionally chimed in with a sentence or two. 

Recently, his family had been considering securing a sinecure position for him through connections, but he had refused.

Such positions, which were granted only for one’s family background, were often idle positions. Their holders would rely on their family until their death and just go to the yamen from time to time to collect their salary. What was the point of having such positions? To Song Xuan’an, such positions seemed utterly unappealing.

He planned to wait for the next provincial-level imperial examinations, which would be held in three years.

After all, three years wasn’t such a long time for him now.

Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing hadn’t seen each other in days, so once they started talking, they had endless topics to discuss. Song Xuan’an listened to their conversation with a faint smile on his face. He also occasionally made a light comment.

It wasn’t bad this way, Song Xuan’an thought. At least she could still act like she did before.

She hadn’t shunned him or avoided him.

So what if she had married Gu Huaisheng? It wasn’t as if she had feelings for him.

At that moment, their food arrived. However, when Jiang Jingchun saw the dishes, she found them strange. She asked the waiter, “What’s with these dishes? We didn’t order these. Did you make a mistake?”

None of the dishes on the table were ones they had ordered. It was peculiar.

The waiter quickly explained, “These dishes were added by a gentleman on your behalf. He specifically instructed us to bring extra dishes for you. The bill is already covered, so you can enjoy them at ease.”

The three of them exchanged puzzled looks.

A gentleman added these dishes?

Why would someone go out of their way to treat them to food?

Moreover, the dishes at Quwei Pavilion weren’t cheap. The cost of this spread must reach several taels of silver—quite a lavish gesture.

But who was it?

Chen Muqing, who was a straightforward and carefree person by nature, didn’t overthink it. Anyhow, the dishes came straight from the restaurant, so they couldn’t have been dirtied or tampered with.

However, Jiang Jingchun couldn’t help but recall the gaze that had lingered on her earlier when she alighted from the carriage. Now, upon encountering this incident, her mind began to wander.

Who could it be?

Gu Huaisheng?

No, that didn’t seem likely.

Surely, such a coincidence couldn’t happen.

When she had left the house earlier, Gu Huaisheng had clearly been sitting comfortably at home. She hadn’t heard any mention of him going out.

Song Xuan’an chimed in. He said, “Maybe someone lost a bet?”

They had, after all, placed bets before, and the loser’s punishment often involved footing the bill for someone else’s meal at a restaurant. Perhaps today was another one of those instances?

The two women found Song Xuan’an’s reasoning plausible. Yeah, that wasn’t impossible.

The three of them had been playing polo all afternoon and were famished. Seeing the food, they decided to dig in without overthinking.

After a short while, they were mostly done.

By then, night was falling, and the sky was nearly dark. It was time to head home before it got too late.

The three of them stood and exited the private room.

Jiang Jingchun was at the front, and as soon as she opened the door, she was startled by the figure standing there.

She saw Gu Huaisheng leaning against the doorframe, and nearly yelped in surprise.

He was just too striking. Simply standing there made it impossible to ignore him. He leaned casually against the post, with his arms crossed and a faint, knowing smile directed at her on his face.

Their gazes locked. Jiang Jingchun couldn’t help but feel uneasy under his piercing stare. Though he smiled, it didn’t feel friendly or kind to her.

She caught the subtle message in his eyes as well. It was clear he’d been imagining all sorts of scenarios in that head of his.

They were only having a meal, yet he made it look as if he’d caught her cheating…

After Gu Huaisheng had finished his earlier business, he’d come directly to Jiang Jingchun’s location. Yet, instead of barging in, he waited patiently outside the door. Finally, the moment he’d been waiting for arrived—the door opened, and the three emerged.

When Gu Huaisheng saw the door open, he straightened up. He had a slight smile on his face as he directed his gaze at Jiang Jingchun and said, “Cousin, how was the meal? Were the dishes I picked to your liking?”