499 Yesterday Once More at the Xu Estate

If the twilight wished to set aflame all the clouds on the horizon, it wouldstill require a very long time, but the feasts and banquets in the restaurantsand brothels of the capital had already begun. Formal banquets always required long periods of time, so they would naturallystart very early. It had nothing to do with conserving lantern oil or candles.The cultivating experts and high officials, the scholars and literati, theyoung ladies and their maids—what they all valued was the change in light asdawn proceeded to dusk and then into the night as well as the change inambience and experience with it. Chen Changsheng didn't understand these things. In his view, if a mealexceeded a quarter hour, then it was unhealthy, just like how all the finedelicacies arrayed before him right now were unhealthy. Today, the dinner being held at the Xu Estate was different from the ordinaryfamily dinner held last time. This was a formal banquet. Although there wasonly one guest, a member of the junior generation who was still rather young,the central gate of the Divine General of the East's estate, which rarelyopened twice in a year, was opened. All manner of exotic dishes, made with themost precious ingredients, were served, then before they were much eaten, justbarely given one or two glances, they were whisked away to be replaced with thenext round of dishes. As far as the eye could see were precious utensils and porcelain dishes,making him very naturally recall what Madam Xu had said to him on his first dayin the capital. Servant girls were everywhere. Without him needing to doanything, a person would naturally appear to attend him. Yet what wasinteresting was that neither Madam Xu, Nanny Hua, nor that maid Shuang'erappeared today. Perhaps it was because of what had occurred between them and Chen Changshengin the past. Only Xu Shiji was there to entertain the guest. Chen Changsheng did not drink wine. Out of courtesy, he ate a few dishes, veryquickly getting full. Xu Shiji placed down his wine cup and waved his hand to indicate that allothers should leave. Then he waited for him to speak. Chen Changsheng did not like to, nor was he skilled at, speaking in aroundabout manner. Seeing from his attitude that Xu Shiji had already mentallyprepared himself, he straightforwardly said, "Sir should already know theidentity of my teacher." "On the day that I learned that Daoist Ji was Principal Shang, I was just asshocked as everybody else." Xu Shiji did not mention how he had spoken for a very long time to theportrait of his father in the ancestral hall. He said indifferently to ChenChangsheng, "Lord Zhou Tong included, many people wish to use this fact to moveagainst you, but you have no need to worry. The laws of my Great Zhou saynothing about guilt by association. Back when the plot to rebel by the OrthodoxAcademy was discovered, you weren't even born." "But Sir is still one of the Divine Empress's most trusted Divine Generals.Why does Sir persist with this engagement?" Chen Changsheng asked. "Everyone believes that I am unbearably vulgar. For me to be able to have sucha daughter must have been from the accumulation of many lifetimes of goodfortune…there are probably quite a few people who jeer at me in private." Xu Shiji looked into Chen Changsheng's eyes, not hiding the cold emotion inhis eyes. "As for this engagement, it has brought me boundless humiliation…inthe eyes of the world, at the very beginning, my Xu Estate looked down on yourpoor and pedantic young self and wanted to end the engagement, even applyingevery sort of pressure and humiliation on you. But later on, upon learning thatyou had a relationship with His Holiness, we shamelessly bothered you,insisting no matter what that you go through with the marriage. As a result,all the humiliation we placed upon you was returned completely to us. One couldeven say…that we acted very shamelessly." The parlor was very quiet. All the servant girls had long since retreated faraway. Xu Shiji continued, "Fortunately, no one believes that my family's Little Rongdoesn't deserve you, or else even she would have become a laughingstock." Chen Changsheng thought to himself, since you already know that this situationis so unsightly, why do you persist? Last time when I wanted to end theengagement, why did you so obstinately refuse taking back the marriage contractyourself? "But I don't care, or perhaps you could say that I can endure all thesehumiliations and jeers." Xu Shiji's eyes suddenly became sharp and hetransfixed Chen Changsheng. "Because I am a father and so I must also considermy daughter. The Empress is the sole object of my loyalty, but if I were towork for the sake of my daughter, what wrong have I committed?" Over these past few days, Chen Changsheng had thought many times over why theXu Estate had seemed ready to defend this engagement to the death. He had comeup with many reasons, but this was one that he had not imagined. Xu Shiji was doing it for his daughter. Chen Changsheng should have been somewhat happy and admitted that he washappy, but he was not. He did not believe that Xu Shiji was this sort ofperson, this sort of father."I know what you are thinking, what the people ofthe capital are thinking." With an expressionless face, Xu Shiji said, "Just like how everyone regardedthe Qiushan clan head before the internal strife of Mount Li. But the facts areevidence that all of you thought wrong. "Correct, if I persist with this marriage, then in the future if His Holinesswere to suffer defeat, the Divine Empress will certainly not permit me to live.But I am very certain that even I were to die, the Empress would still doteupon Little Rong. And if…His Holiness were to win, because of her connectionwith you, I presume that esteemed elder would not have any bad intentions toLittle Rong." He examined Chen Changsheng's profile, then continued, "When the general trendtowards the confluence of the north and south finally succeeds, perhaps theMount Li Sword Sect might still be able to preserve its edge, and so QiushanJun could take his achievements for there and go north, but what status willSouth Stream Temple continue to hold? If Little Rong cannot marry you, the bestending for her would only be to guard Holy Maiden Peak, but if this marriagewere to succeed? "The Pope and the Holy Maiden: this is the true confluence of north and south. "No matter if they're a northerner or a southerner, everyone wishes to seethis scene. "What is a general trend? This is a general trend. "Whether I'm alive or not by that point, my Xu clan will absolutely leave itsname upon the annals of history." …… …… The true confluence of north and south, the general trend, the scene that allpeople wished to see—for these reasons, this marriage must continue. Chen Changsheng felt that these words were rather familiar, then he rememberedthat upon entering the capital, he had often heard similar phrases. That maidcalled Shuang'er had said it, that nanny had said it, and many people at theIvy Festival had also said it. Even Tang Thirty-Six said it. It was just thatduring these times, the name paired with Xu Yourong had not been his. He was not a person who wished to conceal his true thoughts. Raising his head,he said to Xu Shiji, "Back then, all of you used to talk the same way aboutQiushan Jun." "In my view, if I were looking for a marriage partner, Qiushan is definitely abetter choice than you, even in your present state. The problem is that he'salready inferior to you." A better choice and inferior—these were two ideas at odds with each other. Chen Changsheng thought of the news that had come from Mount Li. Under thesunlight on the main peak of Mount Li, Qiushan Jun had calmly and casuallystabbed himself with his sword, thus resolving this massive conspiracy plannedfor many years in an understated manner. After a moment of silence, he shookhis head, "I'm inferior to him." Xu Shiji did not comprehend his meaning. "His Holiness is your martial uncle.Based solely on this point, he can never match up to you." Just as Qiushan Jun had said to his father atop the main peak of Mount Li, theyoung and the old really could never walk the same path. Chen Changsheng didn't know that such a thing had been said, but he had asimilar feeling. He stood up and prepared to leave, simultaneously taking outthe marriage contract and placing it on the table. His actions were not very solemn, nor could they be considered casual. Therewas neither pride nor humility. He only took it out then placed it down. He had already come to this Divine General's estate three times, each time toend the engagement. Perhaps it was for precisely this reason that he was nolonger as nervous and awkward as at the very beginning. Xu Shiji's face also showed no sign of awkwardness. Upon receiving the letterfrom the Orthodox Academy saying that Chen Changsheng wished to pay a visit, hehad already guessed at the purpose of the visit. "As I said before, if you insist on ending the engagement, stand in front ofLittle Rong and return it to her." In the Garden of Zhou, Chen Changsheng truly had intended to do this, but henever had the chance to meet up with Xu Yourong. Then he became somewhatconfused. Why was it that both Xu Shiji and Tang Thirty-Six had said similarthings, as if they had determined that he only needed to witness Xu Yourong'strue appearance to utterly dispel any thoughts of ending the engagement? Evenif Xu Yourong was truly as beautiful as a goddess, so what? He even felt that for other people to regard him as such would be looking downupon him. "I hear that Young Lady Xu will return to the capital in the few days. I willfirst leave the marriage contract in Sir's honorable home. If Young Lady Xu hasany opinion, please send a letter to the Orthodox Academy." He paid no attention to Xu Shiji's words, continuing, "I request that Sir notsend the marriage contract to the Orthodox Academy again, or else it reallymight get lost. That would truly be unsightly." Xu Shiji was infuriated at these words, thinking, you dare to threaten me? Buthis face showed none of this emotion. Chen Changsheng was not threatening, but giving sincere advice. This marriagecontract really had almost been lost in the Garden of Zhou. Back when he had been in the lake bottom, fighting with Nanke's two wings, hehad emptied out all the contents of his sword sheath in order to break throughthe wings of light. Among these items was the marriage contract. However, hehad already lost any sort of interest in this marriage and even cared verylittle for the marriage contract. It was only in the past few days when he hadprepared to go to the Xu Estate to the end the engagement that he hadremembered this matter. He had originally planned to say something more to Xu Shiji, but dropped thematter after further contemplation. Without any further words, he bid farewelland departed. Xu Shiji expressionlessly watched his back fade into the darkness beforefinally withdrawing his gaze. Turning to the marriage contract, his expressiongrew somewhat focused. He was rather confused as to why the edge of themarriage contract was rather wet. Walking through the garden of the Divine General of the East's estate, ChenChangsheng used the light of the lantern carried by the servant girl before himto look at the straight trees and gray rocks which had left some impression onhim. He very naturally began to recall those encounters he had at this place. When he was bidding farewell, he truly had wanted to say something more to XuShiji, but he had momentarily been unable to find the right words nor how toform the sentence. If Tang Thirty-Six were here, he would presumably bluntlyask Xu Shiji: "You're so shameless, does your daughter know?" But it wasimpossible for him to say these sorts of words. He was just suddenly rathersympathetic for Xu Yourong. Xu Shiji said that he persisted in this marriage for the sake of his daughter,but everything that came out of his mouth was about the general trend, theconfluence of north and south, leaving a name in history, and other suchphrases, not in the least concealing his true opinion. Chen Changsheng thoughtto himself, it's only a fame-seeking individual who would think about bringinghonor to one's family, for the persistence of the Xu clan throughout the ages.In your eyes, how is your daughter any different from a memorial gateway? If thought about in this way, Xu Yourong truly was somewhat pitiful. As he muddled through his thoughts, he arrived before a stone arch. A lady stood at the stone arch.