WSMTATMC C176

Chapter 176

The next morning, Wang Ying rose early to investigate the matter of the madman who had run through the streets shouting the previous day.

After some careful inquiry, he learned the truth—the man was a fur merchant from the northwest. By sheer misfortune, he had been caught in the midst of battle between the two armies and had personally witnessed the Border Garrison’s defeat. He claimed to have seen the Prince of the North—Marquis Wuping—shot down from his horse.

Terrified, the merchant had fled all the way to Jizhou, spreading the dire news along the way.

Could it be that the Marquis had truly met with disaster?

Wang Ying returned home with dread tightening his chest. He dared not tell Lin Sui the truth outright; instead, he said only that the man who had caused yesterday’s commotion had been taken into custody by the magistrate for spreading false rumors.

Lin Sui’s face was pale, his eyes ringed with sleepless shadows. “I’m alright, Sister-in-law,” he said hoarsely. “No matter what has become of the Marquis, I will raise Qing’er as my own child.”

“That’s not what worries me most,” Wang Ying said gravely. “While the Marquis lived, the Li family already tormented Qing’er without shame. If they learn he has fallen… I fear they’ll move against the Marquis’s household at once.”

Lin Sui’s expression changed. “Then—what should we do?”

Qing’er was his very life. Anyone who tried to take her away might as well take his soul.

“For now,” Wang Ying said, “we must warn the Marchioness. Tell her under no circumstance should she yield to the Li family’s persuasion. If she falters, none of us will be able to stop them.”

“I’ll go to the Marquis’s residence at once!” Lin Sui declared.

Meanwhile, the Li family had also received the news of the Marquis’s death on the battlefield.

Madam Li clapped her hands together in wild delight. “Good! Good! Excellent! That cursed child is finally dead!”

The maid beside her looked bewildered. Why was her mistress rejoicing? The Marquis was, after all, a son of the Li family—her husband’s own flesh and blood.

The story traced back more than twenty years. That year, Madam Luo—another of Lord Li’s wives—had carried her pregnancy to full term, while Madam Li herself had already given birth to a second son.

By cruel coincidence, Madam Li’s baby fell gravely ill and died on the very day that Madam Luo gave birth. Luo’s child lived—hers did not. To make matters worse, the newborn boy, Li Mu, bore a large, dark-blue birthmark on his face, a mark like that of a demon reborn.

The coincidence was so uncanny that even Lord Li was unsettled. He summoned a wandering fortune-teller to divine the cause.

The seer declared, “The child born of Madam Luo is one come to collect a debt. In a past life, Lord Li slew five members of his family. This life, he will reclaim the lives of five Lis. Madam Li’s son was merely the first to repay the blood-debt.”

Horrified and half-mad with grief, Madam Li transferred all her hatred to that newborn child.

Lord Li, too, had wanted to drown the boy then and there, but the fortune-teller had warned, “If you kill him, the Li family’s fortune will end. Never again will your house produce a man of talent or worth.”

Thus, the couple could do nothing but keep the boy alive—though they despised him utterly.

Lord Li named him Li Mu (李墓), “Mu” meaning grave, as if to curse him toward early death. Years later, a commanding officer in the army deemed the name too ill-omened and changed the character to Mu (穆), meaning solemn or reverent.

Li Mu’s childhood in the Li household had been one of unending torment—half-fed, half-clothed, and constantly abused. Madam Li schemed time and again to bring about his death.

But fate, it seemed, was not on her side. The boy’s life was as hard as iron. He grew up strong, never once falling ill.

At last, Lord Li sent him away to the army under the guise of “tempering his character,” when in truth, he merely wished him dead far from home. Yet contrary to their wishes, the boy not only survived—he thrived. On the battlefield, he earned honor after honor, until at last, the Emperor himself granted him the title of Marquis.

That was the final straw. Their despised illegitimate son had risen so high they could no longer control him. Enraged, Madam Li arranged for him to marry a shameless merchant’s daughter, hoping to cut off his line entirely.

But Li Mu had uncovered her scheme. Not only had he divorced the woman, he’d made a public scandal of the affair, exposing Madam Li’s cruelty and forcing a division of the family estate.

Lord Li had fallen deathly ill from fury, and though he later recovered, neither parent ever forgave Li Mu. Powerless to harm him, they could only curse him in secret, praying for his early death.

Now that he was reportedly dead, Madam Li’s joy knew no bounds. She could scarcely restrain herself from ordering drums and firecrackers to celebrate—the demon had finally met his retribution!

“Old Madam!” a servant’s panicked cry shattered her glee.

“What is it? Why such panic?”

“It’s—it’s terrible! The young master… the young master is dying!”

Madam Li froze, her whole body trembling, then rushed toward the inner courtyard.

The “young master” was Li Chen’s second son. Days earlier, both of his children had caught smallpox. Several physicians had been summoned, yet none had been able to cure them.

Madam Li had originally intended to spread the infection to Li Qing’er, but fate had turned on her—the disease struck her own grandsons instead.

The elder boy, barely old enough to endure, had survived, but his face was scarred and one eye blinded. The younger one, still a toddler, had been sickly ever since, wasting away no matter how many medicines were tried.

As Madam Li neared the courtyard, she heard her daughter-in-law’s heart-rending wails. Her steps faltered. Gripping her robe tightly, she stood there, her face contorted in anguish and rage.

It was all Li Mu’s fault. His cursed spirit had taken her son, and now her grandson!

If that debt-collector was gone, then his daughter would repay his debt in kind!

Wang Ying and Lin Sui rode in a carriage toward the Marquis’s residence, both heavy with unease.

When they arrived, Ershun spoke with the gatekeeper, who, after confirming their identities, opened the door and instructed the servants to let them through.

They made their way to the back courtyard, where the Marchioness resided.

Madam Luo was tending her flowers. The warm spring days had coaxed the azaleas into full bloom, their shades of pink a delicate sea of color.

Hearing footsteps, Madam Luo turned with a faint smile. “Ah, Lin-gongzi, you’ve come. Where is Qing’er today?”

“Old Madam,” Lin Sui bowed respectfully. “She caught a slight chill yesterday and isn’t feeling well, so I left her at home to rest.”

“She must be cared for properly,” Madam Luo said kindly. “I’ll have some medicinal herbs sent to you later. See if any of them might be of use.”

“Thank you, Old Madam.” Lin Sui glanced anxiously at Wang Ying, unsure how to broach the subject. After all, the news was heavy and uncertain—he didn’t know if the old lady could bear it.

Wang Ying took a quiet breath and said, “We came today because there is another matter we must discuss with you.”

“What is it?” Madam Luo asked, wiping her hands clean and walking over.

“These past few days, there have been rumors,” Wang Ying said carefully. “They say… the Marquis may have met misfortune at the frontier.”

Madam Luo’s face tightened, but no tears came. Only sorrow darkened her eyes.

Wang Ying continued, “Of course, this news may not be true. The Marquis is a man of great virtue—he will surely return safely. But right now, I fear the Li family may use this chance to cause trouble.”

“I understand your meaning,” Madam Luo said quietly. “Before he departed, Mu’er told me himself—if he were to die in battle, he wished for Lin-gongzi to raise Qing’er in his stead. The child will follow you from now on. I am old and weak; if the Li family comes for her, I fear I won’t be able to stop them.”

Lin Sui covered his mouth, choking on his sobs. He had never truly believed the Marquis could die—but now, faced with the Marchioness’s calm acceptance, grief overwhelmed him.

Madam Luo sighed. “Mu’er should have left you some silver. Take only half of it for now; when Qing’er turns sixteen, she may have the rest. Please… treat her well.”

“Please rest assured, Old Madam,” Lin Sui said earnestly. “I will treat Qing’er as my own daughter.”

Satisfied, Madam Luo nodded wearily. Years of hardship had weakened her body; now, with the shock of this news, her strength seemed to drain away entirely. After giving a few more instructions, she dismissed them.

When the two left the Marquis’s residence, both were heavy-hearted. Lin Sui grieved for the Marquis; Wang Ying mourned for Madam Luo.

If the old lady had been a stronger woman, she could have cut ties with the Li family long ago. With her son’s title and achievements, she might have lived freely as an honored dowager. But her spirit had long been shackled by tradition; she had never learned how to rebel. Now, all she could do was wait for Lord Li and Madam Li to reclaim the household.

Back home, Wang Ying prepared to open his shop. “Sui’er, stay and rest,” he urged. “Business is slow these days, and you didn’t sleep last night.”

Lin Sui did not argue. He truly was exhausted. Thanking Wang Ying, he went to his room to lie down.

At the shop, Wang Ying had barely opened the doors when a customer hurried in. “Ah, Shopkeeper Wang, there you are! I came several times yesterday but couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“What’s the matter?” Wang Ying asked, setting down his broom.

“I heard there’s a house for rent on Zhenghe Street. My cousin’s family just arrived from Xiguan yesterday—they’re looking for a place. The rents on Zhengyang Street are too high, so I came to ask about Zhenghe.”

“Yes,” Wang Ying said, “there are still a few houses left, though prices have risen sharply. You know how scarce housing has become lately.”

“How much for a year?”

“For others, I charge seventy taels per year. But since you’re a familiar face, I’ll give you a discount—sixty-five taels, deposit separate.”

The man considered it. That was indeed cheaper than most; rents on Zhenghe Street had climbed above a hundred taels already.

“Alright, I’ll tell my cousin and bring him by this afternoon.”

“Do hurry,” Wang Ying said. “Demand’s high—if you’re late, I can’t promise the house will still be free.”

“Got it, got it! I’ll fetch him right away.”

No sooner had he left than another prospective tenant arrived. After agreeing on a price, Wang Ying arranged to show them both the properties later that day.

He looked around the shop at the unsold vegetables, sighing to himself. The produce business was faltering, but the rental business was booming. Well—if the east didn’t prosper, the west would. Money was money, wherever it came from.

By noon, Wang Ying told Tianju to close up the shop and take home the freshest vegetables, distributing the rest among the neighbors.

After lunch, he led the two tenants to see the houses. Both families were refugees—one a former country squire, the other a small trader in medicinal herbs. Their faces were worn from hardship, exhaustion etched into every line.

As they walked, Wang Ying asked, “How fares the war at the frontier? I heard rumors that the Northwestern Army suffered defeat—is it true?”

The squire sighed. “Ah, if the fighting weren’t so fierce, who would abandon their home and travel so far just to survive?”

“And Marquis Wuping?” Wang Ying pressed softly. “Has he truly fallen?”

Both men shook their heads. “We’re just common folk,” one said. “All we know is how to stay alive. Such matters are beyond us.”

After showing them the properties, Wang Ying finalized the contracts and received a total of one hundred and thirty taels in rent—a far quicker profit than selling vegetables ever brought.

If only he’d had more capital earlier, he thought wistfully, he could have bought more houses. By now, he might’ve been a landlord himself.

But when he returned home, his satisfaction vanished. A strange carriage was parked outside the gate, and a crowd of people were arguing loudly at the door. Among the noise, he could clearly hear Lin Sui’s furious voice:

“You took Qing’er once before, and within a day she caught smallpox! If not for Master Qingxu’s treatment, she would have died! Don’t you dare try to take her again!”