Chapter 076
Chapter 76: I Want to See Xia Meng Yan
Lin Ye Lan glanced around the room, chose a spot that was still somewhat clean, and sat down, then said: “I heard what you two were saying just now. Giving you silver is not a problem.”
When Zhao Kuan’s elder brother and sister-in-law heard there was money, their eyes lit up, but Lin Ye Lan added, his voice turning cool: “But first tell me: what did you say to the Xia Family people?”
The couple looked at each other, confused by what he meant.
Lin Ye Lan let out a cold snort and said: “People from the Xia Family came by in the daytime to question you. Did you tell them the truth?”
Zhao Kuan’s sister-in-law remembered the yamen runner who had questioned them and thought: [Were those Xia Family people in disguise? Rich families have so many schemes. Good thing we didn’t say much.] She answered, trying to stay calm: “No. It was a routine inquiry. We didn’t say anything.”
Her husband echoed her quickly, eager to please: “Right. We gave you our word, and we won’t go back on it.”
Watching their faces, Lin Ye Lan guessed they might be ready to turn on him. He dared to buy them off so openly because he already held their weaknesses. Zhao Kuan’s elder brother was a gambler who owed the gambling house, and Lin Ye Lan had arranged for someone to settle the debt. Zhao Kuan’s sister-in-law often stole from her employer and sold the goods outside. If either secret came to light, they would both be as good as dead.
He stared at them and asked in a hard voice: “Do you think I’m a fool? You forced Zhao Kuan to his death. Now there’s a scapegoat for you, and you should be thanking me. Since we’re working together, be honest. If I find out you’re wavering, I’ll make you pay.”
The couple could not tell why this lord was so angry or understand his hints, but they hurried to flatter him, the elder brother saying: “Rest easy, my lord. We’re grasshoppers tied to the same rope, we would never betray you, about the silver…”
Lin Ye Lan took out a banknote worth one hundred taels. Zhao Kuan’s elder brother reached for it at once, but Lin Ye Lan drew his hand back and said coldly: “Only this once.”
The elder brother nodded over and over, answering in a rush: “Yes, the last time.”
Just as he took the silver, a cold shout burst from outside the door: “People inside, surrender at once, or be killed without mercy.”
Lin Ye Lan’s face changed. There were people outside, and he had not noticed. The couple’s legs went weak with fear. They had been questioned already in the day, so why were people here again at night?
Acting on instinct, Lin Ye Lan covered his face, grabbed Zhao Kuan’s elder brother, and pressed a dagger to his neck.
The elder brother squeaked, his voice shaking: “W-what are you doing?”
Lin Ye Lan snapped, wasting no words: “Cooperate.”
The elder brother blinked, stunned. How was he supposed to cooperate? He didn’t know what to do.
The door swung open. The scene outside shocked Lin Ye Lan. The courtyard blazed with torchlight. Seven or eight archers had arrows nocked and ready. The Chief Justice of the Dali Court stood in the center.
The Chief Justice called out, voice steady: “Marquis of Ping’an, I did not expect it to be you.”
Lin Ye Lan froze, then understood at once that he had been followed. From the very start, it had been a trap.
He asked through clenched teeth: “You tracked me?”
Hands clasped behind his back, the Chief Justice let the black sheen of his uniform catch the night: “Anyone who has quarreled with the Xia Family falls under the Dali Court’s investigation.”
Lin Ye Lan narrowed his eyes and said: “So the things I heard were bait you set out to hook me?”
The Chief Justice answered, sounding almost bored: “Half and half. Eldest Miss Xia is clever. She had people question this couple every few days. When your people grew tired, we let a false message slip to draw out the one behind it all.” He rubbed his neck; staking people out at midnight was a chore. If the emperor had not pressed him, he would not have bothered. Still, the result pleased him.
He raised his voice so everyone could hear: “We all heard your conversation just now. Marquis of Ping’an, surrender at once. For the sake of your years fighting for the Court, we will leave you an intact body.”
Hearing Xia Meng Yan’s name tied to the plan, Lin Ye Lan began to tremble. [Such a cruel heart. I am the father of the child.]
He snarled back: “Do you take me for a three-year-old? If I surrender, I die. Get out of the way, or I will kill him.”
The Chief Justice almost laughed. The couple were criminals already. Even if they died in the chaos, the emperor would not blame him. Yet Lin Ye Lan dared to use them as leverage. He stepped back two paces and signaled the archers.
Lin Ye Lan had not expected them to give him no chance at all. In a panic, he backed into the house and shouted: “I want to see Xia Meng Yan, or we all die together.”
He tossed a fire striker. It landed on the pile of firewood in the courtyard. Flames leaped up at once.
The Chief Justice cursed him in his heart for being heartless. The couple’s lives were worthless, but the neighbors nearby were innocent. If people died, the emperor would be furious. He split his orders, sending men to fight the fire while he tried to bargain: “It is the middle of the night. Eldest Miss Xia is with child. How can she come here? Calm down. If you drag innocent people into this, you will have no way to live.”
Lin Ye Lan’s voice came cold from inside: “Save your breath. Tell Xia Meng Yan to come see me. I have something important to say, or you will regret it.” His dagger pricked into the elder brother’s flesh. The man wailed and begged the Chief Justice to save him.
Behind his back, the Chief Justice’s fist tightened. He stared into the house. From where he stood, he could see an oil lamp still burning. He slowly opened his hand and felt a thread of air pass through his fingers. Gritting his teeth, he gave the order: “Go bring Eldest Miss Xia here.”
Xia Meng Yan had not slept well. Song Mo had still not returned, and she was anxious something had gone wrong. She did not expect to get news about going to Peach Blossom Village instead.
Sitting in the carriage as it rolled out, she listened to the report and repeated, puzzled: “You’re saying the Marquis of Ping’an is holding Zhao Kuan’s elder brother hostage and wants to meet me?”
A yamen runner trotted beside the carriage and replied in a low voice: “Yes. The Marquis is like a trapped dog. He set fire to Zhao Kuan’s yard and said if he doesn’t see you, he will burn the neighboring yards too.”
Xia Meng Yan frowned in confusion. Why did Lin Ye Lan want to see her?
With the Chief Justice’s written order, the carriage left the city quickly.
Nanny Song squeezed her hand and warned her softly: “When we get there, Eldest Miss must protect herself. Arresting people is the Dali Court’s job. It has nothing to do with us.”
Xia Meng Yan nodded. She knew Nanny Song feared she would be hurt.
The carriage slipped quietly into Peach Blossom Village. Nanny Song helped Xia Meng Yan down. The first thing they saw was a blackened yard.
The Chief Justice came over and murmured: “Archers are hidden in the dark. Lead him out.”
Xia Meng Yan understood and, with Nanny Song, stepped into the courtyard.
She raised her voice so it carried: “Marquis, I am here.”
Lin Ye Lan’s answer came from inside the house: “Come in alone.”
“No,” Nanny Song said at once, firm as a wall: “This old servant will go in with Eldest Miss.”
“Not allowed,” Lin Ye Lan called again: “I only want Xia Meng Yan.”
Xia Meng Yan sighed and patted Nanny Song’s hand with a faint smile: “It’s fine. I’m carrying his child. He won’t dare do anything to me.” She tilted her wrist to show the silver needles she wore. Nanny Song still did not feel at ease, but there was nothing she could do.
Inside, a weak candle glowed. Soft orange light brushed across Lin Ye Lan’s face. He kept his grip on Zhao Kuan’s elder brother’s neck. When he saw Xia Meng Yan enter, his eyes narrowed into slits and he said: “You finally came.”
Xia Meng Yan sat by the table in the main hall and looked toward the inner room, asking evenly: “They said you wanted to see me. What do you want?”
Seeing how calm she was, Lin Ye Lan could not help a bitter smile. He smiled with a helpless, pale look, as if he were the victim. He tied the elder brother fast to the bed, straightened his own clothes, and pulled up a stool to sit, then asked, almost plaintive: “You used to like me very much. Why did you change?”
With the silver needle ready in her hand, Xia Meng Yan showed no emotion and said: “Why would I not change? Were you ever truly good to me?” She did not want to answer more. [Some people always think they are right. When they feel wronged, they look for someone else to blame.]
Lin Ye Lan tightened his hold on the dagger. Red veined his eyes as he asked, baffled: “I already tried to change. Why won’t you give me another chance? Were all those years we leaned on each other fake?”