Chapter 024
Chapter 24: Mean and Satisfying
Xia Meng Yan counted without hurry: “One, two, three.”
“Bang, bang, bang.”
After several loud blasts, flames shot into the sky and a foul stench rushed upward.
Duan Yi Chen cursed, then covered his nose with one hand and scooped up Xia Meng Yan with the other as he fled.
They landed on a nearby pavilion. Fire surged in front of them, and the air was thick with the stink.
“What was that, why did it explode?” he asked.
Duan Yi Chen sighed. He had planned to fix up Ping An Marquis Manor, but now the neighbors were suffering too. The people next door were truly unlucky. This smell might not clear for days.
Xia Meng Yan explained with cool calm: “Dry cow dung catches fire once lit. For the blast, soak the cow dung in a marsh for one day.”
Duan Yi Chen clicked his tongue. Only Xia Meng Yan could think of something so ruthless and still avoid harming people.
Not far away, Ping An Marquis Manor was in chaos. People screamed as they ran.
Grand Madam Lin, supported by her attendants, staggered out, but the stench almost made her faint.
Everyone else scattered in panic.
“Old madam, someone, help, help, old madam fainted,” the nanny cried. Grand Madam Lin had taken only a few steps, saw flames everywhere, lost her breath, and fell straight back.
After Xia Meng Yan left earlier, she had taken the buying staff with her. Ping An Marquis Manor already had few servants. Now everyone only cared about saving themselves. No one stepped forward.
Lin Hong heard the nanny’s shout, pinched his nose, and ran over. Seeing his mother on the ground, he reached down on instinct to help.
“Master, please carry old madam on your back, I will cover the rear,” the nanny said, pinching her nose. If they stayed, they would not be burned to death but choked to death.
Lin Hong nodded, but as soon as he extended a hand, the stench hit him. He thought of his mother’s heft, and his hand pulled back.
He had lived in comfort for years. His strength was hollowed out. He could not even lift a courtesan from Red Delight House, let alone carry old madam.
Lin Hong wanted to be filial, but he had no strength.
“It’s not that I won’t carry her. The children are still in the back garden. How about this: you go wait under that tree. I will rescue the children and come right back for you,” he said. Without waiting for the nanny’s answer, he dragged old madam to the nearest tree and left her there.
The nanny stared in shock.
Before he left, Lin Hong hesitated, then pulled off an inner shirt and laid it over Grand Madam Lin’s face. After that, he ran away as fast as he could.
From the loft, Xia Meng Yan saw it all and let out a cold laugh.
Grand Madam Lin had favored the first branch her whole life, but in danger Lin Hong tossed her aside. [Isn’t that karma.]
Guard Song dropped down without a sound in front of them and reported: “Big miss, there is a discovery.”
Xia Meng Yan and Duan Yi Chen met eyes. There might be an extra harvest tonight.
Ping An Marquis Manor was a wreck. Anything that could burn had burned. Besides the four outer walls, the whole place was black.
When Jingzhao Prefecture heard the manor had caught fire, yamen runners came to help put it out.
Neighbors suffered and cursed the manor in all kinds of ways. Some shouted that the latrine had exploded, because the stench was that bad.
The sharp ones remembered how Xia Ping Yuan had been pelted with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at the palace gate, and guessed the Xia Family might be behind this.
Others wondered what could be both smelly and explosive.
Hearing the news outside, Xia Ping Yuan laughed so hard he nearly fell over. He even felt the air was not so smelly anymore.
Madam Lin chuckled and said: “Yan’er’s method is mean but effective. No apology beats making them feel the same pain.”
“What do you mean mean, it suits me just fine,” Xia Ping Yuan said, stroking the few bristles on his chin with pride. His daughter had inherited his habit of repaying every grudge. He loved it.
All that talk about yielding or the so-called big picture was nonsense. It was a trick the powerful used to pacify the victims.
He preferred this rule: you respect me a foot, I respect you a yard.
Being meek and put-upon was not the Xia Family’s style.
“Old man, our daughter is still pregnant. Once this is settled, let her rest at home and care for the baby. You take charge of matters outside,” Madam Lin said.
“Got it,” Xia Ping Yuan answered as his eyes turned. Lin Ye Lan was already on the road back to the Capital. They said he got hurt while suppressing bandits. Pah. He would try to wash everything clean with military merit again. No way.
He stood up and said: “I am going to the study. When Yan’er comes back, go to bed early.”
He wanted to plan how to bring down Ping An Marquis Manor for good.
Outside was still a mess when Xia Meng Yan and Duan Yi Chen returned to Autumn Lotus Court. Guard Song reported that there were no deaths at Ping An Marquis Manor, only a few people who fainted from the fumes.
Xia Meng Yan nodded. She wanted to punish the Lin Family, but she did not want innocents hurt. She had chosen where to place the cow dung with care: not too close and not too far, close enough to blast the buildings but not harm people.
Things could always go wrong, but luckily no such accident happened.
After hearing that, Duan Yi Chen smiled again. He planned to ask Guard Song in private where he got the cow dung. Next time someone cursed him, he would throw dung at their gate.
Guard Song left, but Duan Yi Chen stayed in the courtyard and did not go.
Chun Yue brought a bowl of bird’s nest porridge kept warm in the little kitchen. Xia Meng Yan waved it away: “I am tired of it.”
Duan Yi Chen glanced at it, a bit helpless. It was top-grade Snow Swallow Resin, something even the rich could not buy. Yet this girl was bored of it. He said with perfect timing: “I happen to be hungry.”
He took the bowl and stood by her side, eating with great delight.
Propping her chin, Xia Meng Yan rested her gaze on him.
In the candlelight, even while lowering his head to eat, he stood tall and elegant. His bearing was noble. Without a word you could tell he was someone important.
Sensing her stare, Duan Yi Chen looked up. Their eyes met. The hazy light fell on his face like the first time they met in youth.
His eyes were set with stars, a warm glow flowing in them that could pull a person in.
Only now did Xia Meng Yan realize that Duan Yi Chen was far more handsome than Lin Ye Lan.
Being watched made Duan Yi Chen’s heart skip. He coughed and said: “The bird’s nest tastes good.”
“Chun Yue, pack some for the heir apparent to take,” Xia Meng Yan said.
He wanted to say he was not a girl and it was not necessary, but when the words reached his lips, he enjoyed that little bit of special favor.
As Chun Yue went to fetch more, Duan Yi Chen rubbed his nose and asked: “When do you plan to bring that matter into the open?”
Xia Meng Yan’s hand trembled. A flash of cold glinted in her eyes as she said: “When Lin Ye Lan returns to the Capital.”
“I will have people watch him in the dark,” he said.
She nodded.
Duan Yi Chen took the bird’s nest from Chun Yue. Thinking of how he would be kneeling again when he got back, his feet felt heavy. He stalled and said: “The Plum Blossom Pastry you sent was great. Do you have anything else?”
Xia Meng Yan blinked. One thousand taels, and Jian Ping only bought Plum Blossom Pastry?
“Other things are fine too,” she said.
Leaving that line, Duan Yi Chen vaulted over the wall.
Xia Meng Yan was puzzled. If he liked other snacks, why not buy them himself? [Could it be the Eldest Princess is cutting his monthly allowance.]
Forget it. Next time she would give him some banknotes.
Not knowing he was throwing flirting at a blind wall, Duan Yi Chen returned to Marquis Xuan Ping Manor in a very good mood.
Seeing the heir apparent come back, Jian Ping hurried over in a panic and said: “Master, if you sneak out again, please tell this servant first so I can prepare an excuse.”
He had brought tea and found the room empty. He felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar.
The manor might not punish him for it, but what if they did.
Jian Ping did not dare call out. He could only worry inside the room and pray the heir apparent had just run out and would return quickly.
“It is not my first time, why are you nervous,” Duan Yi Chen said, setting the bird’s nest on the table and stretching.
“Master, please pity your servant,” Jian Ping said with a wronged face.
If something happened, the Eldest Princess could chop him into eight pieces.
In a good mood, Duan Yi Chen took off his outer robe and tossed it on the floor. It reeked and could not be worn again.
Jian Ping hurried to pick it up. The faint stink made him blurt out: “Master, where did you go to smell like this?”
Thinking of the Lin Family’s disaster, Duan Yi Chen gave him a mysterious smile and stepped into the bath.
Seeing his master like that, Jian Ping guessed someone must be unlucky tonight.
“Brat, get out here,” a roar sounded outside just as Jian Ping turned with the clothes to leave the room.