WSMTATMC C19

Chapter 19

After the hour of Chen⁽¹⁾ passed, paper oxen and paper horses went first — a rule passed down from the ancestors.

Because Chen Qingyan had no sons, his younger brother Chen Qingsong walked in front, smashing the ritual bowl and carrying the mourning banner. Behind him, Qingyun and Wang Ying wailed in mourning.

All the relatives from the clan had come today. Thinking back to just two months ago when they had attended Chen Qingyan’s wedding, now the joy had turned into a funeral. Each of them shook their heads and sighed, lamenting the fate of this young man.

Chen Biao stood off to the side, directing the servants and hired help bustling about the courtyard, taking on the airs of the master of the household.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the Chen family main branch would likely have a change of hands. Unfortunately, even if such a matter were brought to the county office, nothing could be done — after all, with no adult male in the main branch, there was no one to hold the household in place.

Chen Rong (Third Aunt) sat by Li Shi’s side, quietly shedding tears. Seeing her Second Brother’s behaviour, she feared the child had truly been murdered, just as her sister-in-law had said.

When the time for the burial neared, Chen Biao immediately ordered the coffin to be sealed and taken for interment.

“You can’t seal it! You can’t take my brother away!” Qingyun jumped forward to block the men.

Madam Tian hurried over to drag her back. “Second Miss, don’t make trouble. Don’t delay the auspicious time.”

Seeing her daughter couldn’t hold them off, Li Shi threw herself onto the coffin, sobbing, “Oh my poor son, Mother can’t bear to part with you…”

Third Aunt joined in the weeping. “Sister-in-law, why put yourself through this? Let the child rest in peace.”

Chen Biao was growing anxious. Until Qingyan was buried, the main branch’s property would not be his. He ordered the hired men to pull Li Shi away.

Just as the lid was about to come down, Wang Ying lifted his mourning robe and jumped into the coffin. “I’d like to see who dares!”

“What… what’s all this?” Relatives gasped in shock; they had never seen anyone so bold as to leap into the coffin with the deceased!

Though Chen Biao was losing patience, he still maintained a façade of benevolence. “He’s gone. You blocking the funeral — what’s the meaning? You’d have him go to the underworld unsettled?”

“Fourth Uncle hasn’t arrived. We’ll bury him once he’s here!”

“You told Chen Jing?” (Fourth Uncle’s courtesy name.)

“Yes.”

“He can’t possibly get here so quickly. Laizhou is over a six-hundred li⁽²⁾ journey. By the time he arrives, the body will rot. Out of the way!”

“Why so eager, Second Uncle? Afraid your dirty deeds will be revealed?”

Chen Biao’s face darkened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Wasn’t it you who gave the arsenic to Tian Liu? Forgotten so soon? Shall I have him come out and repeat it for you?”

The gathered relatives exploded.

“What arsenic? Wasn’t Qingyan ill?”

“This… this is too much! How can he do this to our late eldest brother?”

“No wonder he’s been fussing over the funeral — ill intentions!”

Madam Tian, hiding in the back, was already thinking of slipping away. She hadn’t gotten far when, at the second gate, she was grabbed by Chen Bo and Qiu An, who had been lying in wait. One clamped a hand over her mouth, the other tied her up, dragging her silently into the firewood shed. Inside were already Old Tian and Tian Liu, who had been caught by Bailiff Huang San and delivered bound to the Chen house.

By now, sweat was running down Chen Biao’s forehead. He had no idea how Wang Ying knew, but the priority was to get the body buried before the authorities could be called and an autopsy performed.

“He’s mad! What are you standing around for? Pull him out and get the coffin to the graveyard!” he barked to the hired men.

Wang Ying suddenly drew a knife from somewhere and brandished it. “Let’s be clear — if anyone touches me, I’ll fight to the death! Stabbing one isn’t a loss; stabbing two is a profit!”

It’s said the ruthless fear the reckless, the reckless fear those unafraid to die. Wang Ying’s stance was enough to make the men hesitate, edging back — who’d risk their life for a meagre day’s wage?

In the coffin, Qingyan watched the figure beside him: white mourning robes flaring in the wind, his snow-white mourning sash whipping with his hair, his fine-boned face cold and resolute. A line from the Classic of Poetry sprang to mind — “He is a noble man, wearing jade pendants in his ears, with cap-strings shining like the stars”⁽³⁾ — and for a moment, his heartbeat stumbled.

Seeing matters spiralling out of control, Chen Biao couldn’t keep up the pretence.

“I’ve been generous enough to arrange this funeral, yet you smear me with slander. Too much!”

Wang Ying sneered. “If you weren’t after our property, would you be so eager? Dare you swear before the spirit that you won’t touch a coin of the main branch’s inheritance?”

“Wang Ying, had you been obedient, I might have let you stay here with food to eat. Now? Once this is over, you’ll be sent to the nunnery to cleanse the household!”

A nunnery in this context was where disgraced women and ge’er were confined, often for life unless relatives paid to redeem them.

Wang Ying laughed in fury. “And you think you’re worthy?”

Chen Biao spread his hands. “Willing or not, the house will still be mine to run. If Qingyan had been man enough to live, it wouldn’t have come to me, would it?”

Chen Rong couldn’t take it anymore. “Second Brother, what kind of talk is that? His body’s barely cold and you treat his husband like this?”

“Shut your mouth! You’re a married-out woman; your opinion has no place here!”

She reeled back in outrage. For someone who could even plot his nephew’s murder over money, what family feeling could remain?

“And what’s a widowed ge’er without family backing going to do to me? Even if I did poison him, what can you do?”

Wang Ying’s lips curled. “Second Uncle, you’ve finally admitted it.”

“Admitted what?”

“Chen Biao!”

The furious shout from outside the spirit canopy made Chen Biao start. He turned in disbelief.

In walked a stocky middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in a dark brown narrow-sleeved robe — Chen Jing, the Chen family’s Fourth Master.

Expressionless, he strode up to Chen Biao and, before the man could speak, slapped him hard enough to send him staggering. “That one’s for Eldest Brother.”

He swung again, the backhand spilling blood from nose and mouth. “That’s for Qingyan.”

“You unfaithful, unrighteous, unfilial beast!”

Chen Biao, ears ringing, clutched his face and stared. It had been only seven days since Qingyan’s ‘death,’ and the trip from Laizhou took seven days — had his younger brother foreseen this and set out early?

“F-Fourth Brother, there must be some misunderstanding! I had nothing to do with Qingyan’s death!”

“Nothing? Qingyan, come out and tell your good Second Uncle what he’s done.”

“Yes.” A voice came from the coffin.

Everyone froze. Some with weaker nerves were already terrified — how could a corpse speak?

Qingyan slowly propped himself up and sat in the coffin, bowing to Chen Jing. “Nephew greets Fourth Uncle.”

Chen Biao’s eyes bulged. “You’re… you’re not dead?!”

“Sorry to disappoint, Second Uncle. I’m hard to kill.”

“Then what was all this about?”

“Why, building a stage to let you take the starring role.” Wang Ying grinned as he helped Qingyan out.

Realisation swept across Chen Biao’s face — they had known about his plot and staged this play for him. His face drained of colour, his legs folding under him.

“When our elder brother died, what did you promise me? To look after his widow and the children — is this your care?”

“I-It’s not me, they’re framing me!”

Chen Bo shoved a bound Tian Liu forward and kicked him to his knees. “Tell them what you know!”

Tian Liu was already scared witless. Eyes screwed shut, he blurted, “They gave me the arsenic! Second Master said once the young master was dead, he’d give me half the fields. I was blinded by greed — please, forgive me, Master!”

“Lies!” Chen Biao roared. “When did I ever say such a thing?”

“I’ve got proof!” Tian Liu hauled out the land-deed contract from his robe.

Chen Jing snatched it, scanned it, and his fury flared, kicking Chen Biao to the ground. “Less than pigs or dogs!”

“Don’t kick my father!” Qingling dashed forward but was caught by the guards.

Seeing the game was up, Qingfeng turned to flee — only to find a ring of bailiffs outside the mourning shed. He slunk back in defeat.

Chen Biao knew talk was useless now. He slumped, tears flowing. “Why hit me? The family estate has my share! Father and Mother were biased — they gave you the silver when we split the house, the main residence and fields to Eldest Brother, and left me only five lousy, unprofitable shopfronts!”

“We’re born of the same parents — why not give me more?”

Chen Jing ground his teeth. “Father wanted to, but could you have held on to them? How many of those five shops remain?”

“That was Qingfeng’s gambling! How could I help it?”

“When your son first set foot in a gambling den, why didn’t you stop him? And now you’ve lost your own estate, you set your sights on Eldest Brother’s? What logic is that?”

Chen Biao set his jaw. “The nephew’s a slippery one. Say what you like; kill me if you want.”

Wang Ying watched Chen Jing tensely — one was his own brother, the other his nephew; even an upright official finds family disputes hard to judge.

Chen Jing barked, “Chen Biao plotted murder. Take him for interrogation!”

“Fourth Brother — wh-what are you doing?” Panic rose in Chen Biao’s eyes as he grabbed his sleeve. “Qingyan isn’t dead. Let’s just drop it!”

“Drop it? This time he was lucky enough to uncover your plot. What if he hadn’t?”

“I swear I’ll never do it again! I know I was wrong! Fourth Brother — I’m your own brother!”

“Take him away!”

Wang Ying’s taut chest eased at last. Chen Rong and Li Shi, tearful, came forward. “Fourth Brother…”

“Eldest Sister-in-law, you’ve suffered.”

Qingyan knelt. “Nephew thanks Fourth Uncle for clearing my name!”

Chen Jing hurried to raise him, ashamed at the sight of his thin, sickly figure. “I’ve let Eldest Brother down, failing to protect you.”

“This can’t be blamed on Fourth Brother,” Li Shi said thickly. “You’re busy with official duties — coming all this way is thanks enough.”

“And this is Ying’er?”

“Fourth Uncle.” Wang Ying copied Qingyan’s respectful bow.

Chen Jing caught his arm. “Good child — this is all thanks to you.” The letter had already told him the whole backstory.

“It’s only what I should do. Fourth Uncle must be tired from the road — please, come in for tea and talk.”

“Good — we’ll speak inside.”

Only Third Aunt was still completely bewildered. “What on earth is going on?”

notes:

1. Chen hour (辰时) – The third double-hour of the day in the traditional Chinese system, roughly 7–9 a.m.
2. Li (里) – Traditional measure of distance; in this context, about 576 meters per li, making 600 li roughly 345 km (~215 miles).
3. From Book of Songs (Shijing), “A Fair Gentleman” (You Fei): “有匪君子，充耳琇莹，会弁如星。” praising a nobleman’s appearance.