The Fang Family residence was brightly lit, the atmosphere heavy, and the expressions of the servants coming and going carried a trace of fear.
Fang Chengyu had been brought back by carriage, carried in by others, just like how Old Master Fang and Old Master Fang before him had been.
Had the death curse, thought to have been broken, returned once again?
Concubine Yuan lifted the curtain and walked out of Fang Chengyu's room, her eyes red as she wiped at them with a handkerchief.
"Alright, everyone, disperse," she said, waving dismissively.
The people in the courtyard quickly withdrew.
"They didn't even call a doctor. Could it be that he's already…"
"Stop spouting nonsense! That's impossible!"
"I hope not, too. Life has just started looking promising, and the young master is so capable."
The servants muttered softly as they left uneasily.
The courtyard grew quiet, and the atmosphere inside the room turned even heavier.
"Who exactly is behind this?" Old Lady Fang, sitting in a chair, asked with a somber expression.
"Who else could it be? It's those wreaking havoc over the northern lands, the ones whose plans were thwarted," Lady Fang said coldly. "And this is only the beginning."
Though their words and expressions simmered with anger, they lacked grief. It seemed they only cared about the event itself, not the person involved.
"Mother, that's not it."
A crisp male voice rang out.
All turned toward the source of the voice—it was Fang Chengyu, lying on the bed.
The sisters Fang Yunxiao and Fang Yuxiu, seated by the bedside, both glared at him upon hearing this.
"Can you not say anything for once?" they whispered.
As expected, Lady Fang grew even angrier.
"Not it? If it wasn't the disruption in the northern lands and the need to shut down the money business there after spending all that money, leading to all those rumors, why would you have to deal with people day in and day out? And wasn't that how someone seized the opportunity to strike?" she snapped.
"Mother, doing business can't avoid socializing," Fang Chengyu replied. "If I didn't—"
"Chengyu, can't you at least listen to Mother for once?" Fang Yunxiao suddenly stood up and interrupted him. "I know you don't want others to speak ill of her or think she's done anything wrong. But how has Mother wronged you? She's only worried about you. Why do you have to break her heart?"
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Fang Yunxiao, their faces showing mild surprise.
Fang Yunxiao was always focused on ledger books and dutifully obeyed others, never voicing her own opinions, let alone criticizing anyone.
"So Big Sister has a temper after all," Fang Yuxiu remarked with a smile.
Lady Fang's expression grew complicated. She had always thought this eldest daughter of hers was dull, but now realized how thoughtful she truly was.
Fang Chengyu got out of bed and took a few steps to kneel before Lady Fang.
"Mother, I was wrong," he said. "I was wrong to treat your concerns with levity, knowing all the while you never object to my actions and only worry for me."
After speaking, he kowtowed, then raised his head again.
"Mother, Grandmother—if you were afraid of trouble or danger, how could you have supported the family's enterprises through so many years of ups and downs?"
Lady Fang looked at him, sighed, and then smiled.
"You understand everything, but you pretend to be ignorant with me," she said.
"I just don't want Mother to worry," Fang Chengyu replied, as he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a red woven cord around his wrist, adorned with Five-colored Knots. "This was given to me by her. It keeps snakes, insects, and venomous creatures away."
He then loosened his collar to reveal the armor underneath.
"This was also from her—ordinary blades and arrows can't pierce it. And there's more—"
Lady Fang cut him off.
"Looks like she's aware of just how dangerous the tasks she assigns you are," she said.
Fang Chengyu fell silent for a moment.
"Mother, it's not that the tasks she assigns are dangerous but that our Fang Family has always lived amid danger," he said. "I'm not defending her to upset you, though my defense is indeed to keep her from being heartbroken."
He turned his gaze to Old Lady Fang.
"Grandmother, you've never disclosed the origins of that imperial decree. It brought immense wealth to our Fang Family, but it also caused Grandfather and Father to die one after another. Even though County Magistrate Li and Head Shopkeeper Song have been executed, does that mean the danger is truly gone?"
Has it really not been resolved? The expressions of those in the room shifted subtly.
Fang Chengyu chuckled softly.
"Imperial decrees aren't just ordinary objects. Killing us to take it—can they really do so with impunity?"
"Kill an entire family that holds an imperial decree—how can they be so sure it won't bring them capital punishment instead of wealth and glory?"
He continued, looking at Old Lady Fang.
"Did someone promise them something?"
Such a lofty item as an imperial decree—it was evident that a mere county magistrate couldn't make such promises.
So who could it be?
The room descended into an eerie silence.
...
...
In the imperial palace, the night deepened, shrouding everything in darkness. The emperor's sleeping chamber was brightly lit, with rows of Jinyiwei and Imperial Guards standing at attention on the veranda.
Nearby, eunuchs and palace maids stood with their hands respectfully folded.
Everyone knew the emperor was diligent, working harder at night than during the day, necessitating even more attendants.
At this moment, though the inner chamber was lit, the emperor was sound asleep behind the lowered curtains. Yet his sleep seemed restless, his breathing growing heavier, until soft choking sounds escaped his throat. Gripping his chest tightly, he let out a muffled groan and sat up abruptly.
"Someone!" he called.
Immediately, a eunuch entered, stopping outside the curtain to respond.
"Your Majesty!"
Hearing the voice, the emperor's rapid breathing gradually steadied. He scanned his surroundings, as if confirming his location.
"Tea," he said calmly after regaining his composure.
The eunuch carefully drew open the curtain and presented the tea. The emperor took a few sips and then casually picked up an open memorial resting on the bedside desk.
He seemed to have been reviewing it earlier.
"Your Majesty, it's time to rest," the eunuch said with concern. "Your health is of utmost importance."
The emperor grunted in response, his eyes never leaving the memorial.
"Leave," he instructed.
The eastern sky had begun to brighten, casting deeper shadows in the room. The eunuch lit several more lamps, set down the curtains, and withdrew quietly.
The emperor tossed the memorial onto the desk, sprawled out, and reclined again.
"Even Mother Empress nags me about reading memorials. What's the point of being emperor if it's always this exhausting," he muttered disdainfully.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a low announcement came from outside.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Yuan has arrived."
At the mention of that name, the emperor, who had begun to rise, flopped back down again.
"Enter," he said indifferently.
Footsteps approached lightly, and the curtain was lifted. A figure stepped in, carrying the heavy dampness of the night air.
The man bowed and knelt humbly. Seeing the emperor sprawled without royal decorum, he showed no surprise, simply kneeling on the ground.
"Are those things still there?" the emperor asked, eyes closed.
The man raised his head, the lamp's glow illuminating his face—a plain, clean-shaven visage of a man in his thirties or forties. It was an ordinary face, but if Miss Jun were present, she would recognize him as the former acquaintance from Yangcheng who had shocked her—the eunuch Yuan Bao.
At the moment, there was no trace of a mustache on his lip.
"The crucial items are still there," Eunuch Yuan replied. "The Fang Family has refrained from using them as promised and has kept the secret. Only one person is aware of it."
The emperor slammed his hand down heavily onto the bed.
"But I no longer want anyone alive who knows this secret!" he roared, sitting up and opening his eyes. "You've failed to retrieve those items all these years. Do you still intend to let the Fang Family pass it down generation after generation?"
...…..
...…
(Happy Monday)