PCA Chapter 104

Early the next morning, the sky was heavily overcast. Su Cen woke up and reached out, finding that the person was indeed gone again.

 

Su Cen tried to move his limbs, and fortunately, they weren’t completely useless. Looking at his body covered in red marks, he couldn’t understand. He was in his prime, so how could he not match up to that old fox? Why was it that after wrestling until dawn, that person could still go to morning court early, while he could barely crawl out of bed?

 

After lingering in bed for another half hour, Lord Su mustered his strength and finally leapt up from the bed full of intimate memories, thinking that if he didn’t slip away soon, the old fox would be back from court…

 

Seeing that a heavy snow was about to fall, Su Cen thought of the orchids at his Dali Temple. After getting up, bathing, and eating a little, he set out for the Court, wanting to deal with Song Jiancheng’s batch of orchids before the New Year.

 

Just as he reached the central courtyard, he encountered people carrying in several large boxes filled with jade, agate, and other rare treasures, with a few paintings mixed in. Curious, Su Cen stopped them and casually asked. The guard replied, “These are gifts from the Salt Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai, said to be tributes to the Prince.”

 

The Salt Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai – wasn’t that Feng Yiming? Su Cen thought to himself that Feng Yiming was still not giving up, taking the opportunity of the New Year to make his presence felt. It seemed he was doing well in Yangzhou, amassing so much wealth from the people in just a few months.

 

Picking up one of the paintings to look at, Su Cen was startled. As he fully unrolled it, he frowned and asked, “How did this painting end up here?”

 

This painting was none other than Shen Xingzhong’s “Houyi Shooting the Sun.” Xu Youhuai and the others had killed over thirty members of the Shen family for this painting, yet unexpectedly, it had appeared here.

 

The guard checked the inventory list and replied, “It’s said to have been lost by the Shen family during the war years ago. Later, it ended up in the hands of a wealthy merchant in Yangzhou. Lord Feng happened to acquire it and brought it along as a tribute to the Prince.”

 

Su Cen rolled up the painting and put it back, smiling bitterly. What irony – the treasure these people had gone to such lengths to obtain had long since left the Shen family’s possession.

 

“Put the painting in the study,” Su Cen instructed, thinking he’d take a good look later to see if it was really worth thirty-some lives.

 

At the Dali Temple.

 

During Su Cen’s absence, Zhang Jun had instructed people to take good care of the orchids. The brazier in Su Cen’s office had been kept burning continuously, and a few of the orchids even had flower buds.

 

Su Cen found a cloth and wiped each orchid leaf. During the New Year, when no one would be at the court, these delicate orchids wouldn’t survive a few days without the warmth from the brazier. Yet it wasn’t convenient to take them home either – these orchids were all lush and thriving, their heavy pots alone were daunting. As he was worrying about this, someone came to report that there was a visitor asking to see Lord Su.

 

Su Cen was slightly surprised. He had been in the capital for a year but hadn’t made many acquaintances. He couldn’t immediately think of anyone who would come to the Dali Temple asking for him by name. He instructed someone to show the visitor in and went to change his clothes, as his previous outfit was soiled from tending to the flowers. When he came out after changing, he found the visitor had already arrived.

 

It was Li Yunxi.

 

The moment Su Cen saw him, he understood. At this time, only this person would come here looking for him.

 

Unusually, Li Yunxi hadn’t brought his young attendant. He was holding two paintings, and his knuckles were red from the cold.

 

Su Cen quickly took the paintings, hesitating for a moment. “Two?”

 

Li Yunxi smiled slightly. “You gave me too much money, Lord Su. The ‘Lotus and Sandpipers’ painting was already stained and not worth much, so I took the liberty of painting another one. I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”

 

Su Cen accepted the paintings without looking at them and invited Li Yunxi to sit down. He instructed a servant to boil some water and bring it over, then asked, “I remember I gave you my home address.”

 

“I went there, but your servants said you weren’t in,” Li Yunxi sat down without hesitation and continued, “I thought it would be better to deliver them to you personally, so I came here. I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“Thank you for bringing them,” Su Cen went to find some tea leaves, asking without turning around, “Is Biluochun alright?”

 

Li Yunxi softly agreed. As Su Cen returned with the tea set, after some hesitation, he quietly asked, “Aren’t you going to look at the paintings?”

 

Su Cen, busy preparing the tea, didn’t look up and asked directly, “Do you really want me to look at them now?”

 

Li Yunxi bit his lip lightly, his slender fingers intertwining, showing a cold paleness. After a moment, he said, “Go ahead.”

 

Su Cen chuckled softly and looked up. “I don’t need to look at the paintings. I can guess what you’ve painted. So, should I call you Brother Li, or… Shen Yugui, Miss Shen?”

 

Li Yunxi looked at him sharply.

 

Su Cen, not one to keep people in suspense, continued while pouring tea for Li Yunxi, “I know you’re Shen Cun’s daughter from back then. I also know the painting shop owner was your family’s steward, and that you conspired with him to kill Xu Youhuai and the other two. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

 

Li Yunxi was clearly still in shock and hadn’t recovered. He mumbled, “How… how do you know?”

 

“Didn’t you tell me?” Su Cen gestured for Li Yunxi to drink the tea, taking a sip himself. “The peach tree is young and elegant, its blossoms are bright. The young lady is getting married, may she live well in her new home. The peach tree is young and elegant, its fruit is full. The young lady is getting married, may she manage her household well. The peach tree is young and elegant, its leaves are lush. The young lady is getting married, may she care for her family well. The treasure hidden in Shen Cun’s three ‘Peach Blossom’ paintings refers to you, doesn’t it?”

 

After a moment of shock, Li Yunxi finally gave a bitter smile. “So you knew all along.”

 

“Not exactly,” Su Cen lowered his head to drink tea, like an elder patiently answering questions. “When I first saw you in the West Market, I didn’t think in this direction. Later, the old man at the painting shop deliberately mentioned that the Shen family’s eight-year-old daughter also died in that fire. The official records also stated this. I’m not a believer in the supernatural and wouldn’t casually think about resurrection. What really confirmed my suspicion was at Xiaoxiang Residence, where you deliberately left a clue for me.”

 

“The ink stick,” Li Yunxi said.

 

“Yes,” Su Cen nodded. “The stain was indeed caused by burning, but the timing of the ink was off. New ink still has its adhesive properties, writing with it produces gray rather than black characters. Old ink is pure and intensely black, not sticking to paper or brush. Anyone knowledgeable would know this. That ink stick was good quality, but definitely not from eleven years ago. As a painter, you couldn’t possibly not know this, so how could you be fooled by an old man?”

 

After Su Cen’s explanation, Li Yunxi – or rather, Shen Yugui – seemed to calm down. She took a sip of tea and began her story: “My father and mother were deeply in love and never took concubines. I was their only daughter, cherished from birth. Father understood the importance of keeping a low profile, so he didn’t have many expectations for me. He named me ‘Yugui,’ hoping I would marry into a good family and live a peaceful life. But everything changed when I was eight years old, and father brought home three men.”

 

“At first, they were stealing from our home. When father discovered them, they immediately apologized and begged for forgiveness. Father was kind-hearted and let them stay for one last meal before leaving. But no one expected them to poison the food and then set fire to the house.”

 

Shen Yugui’s tone was steady, but Su Cen noticed her hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly. After a pause, she continued, “Later, father woke up, but the fire had spread too much for us to escape. He hid me in a water vat. Outside was a raging fire, but I felt ice-cold to my core. I don’t know how I survived that night. Later, our steward returned and found me, but his young granddaughter, who had come to visit, died in the fire.”

 

“The steward used his granddaughter’s body to replace you and hid you away,” Su Cen added.

 

Shen Yugui nodded, “You probably know the rest, Lord Su. The steward had me disguise myself as a boy, and we followed those three men from Sichuan to the capital. I practiced painting diligently, while the steward ran the painting shop, all in preparation for the day we could avenge my family.”

 

Shen Yugui put down her teacup and knelt before Su Cen. “I came here today, firstly to thank you for clearing my family’s name.”

 

She kowtowed three times to Su Cen, then continued, “Secondly, I’ve come to turn myself in.”

 

Su Cen held his teacup without moving, looking down at her calmly. “Do you know why I didn’t arrest you even though I knew you were a Shen family survivor?”

 

Shen Yugui looked up, a hint of confusion crossing her usually composed face. Su Cen continued, “Because the old steward protected you well. He immolated himself in the painting shop to prevent any further implication of you. So I guessed he wouldn’t have let you actually take part in this case. You only participated in painting, and I couldn’t arrest you just for painting three pictures. But someone else might not see it that way, so I accepted an ink stick from you and kept this matter secret. Now that the case is closed, you come to turn yourself in. Isn’t this just telling the world that I’m corrupt, incompetent, and trying to drag me down with you?”

 

Shen Yugui was startled and quickly said, “I, I didn’t think that way… I just…”

 

Su Cen smiled gently and helped her up from the ground. “The case is closed, and those who should face justice have done so. You can put this matter behind you now and live well, as your father had hoped for you.”

 

Shen Yugui stood up, remaining silent for a long while before finally saying, “Thank you, Lord Su.”

 

Su Cen poured out the cold tea and replaced it with hot tea, handing a cup to Shen Yugui. “The evening sky threatens snow, shall we drink a cup together? It’s not appropriate for me to drink alcohol during office hours, so let’s use tea instead. I wish you a bright future, Miss Shen.”

 

Shen Yugui finally smiled, accepted the teacup, and drank it all at once.

 

After seeing Shen Yugui off, Su Cen felt relieved of one worry. Looking back at the orchids that had been troubling him, he couldn’t help but smile. He called for some bailiffs to bring a ox cart and had all the orchids packed and sent to Xingqing Palace.

 

If Feng Yiming could send three large boxes of treasures, he could send eight or ten pots of orchids. Firstly, to show that Lord Su was as refined as an orchid, and secondly, to highlight how vulgar Feng Yiming was in comparison.

 

After dispatching the orchids, Su Cen returned to his office and finally couldn’t resist his curiosity to open the two paintings.

 

One was still the original “Lotus and Sandpipers,” but where it had been stained with rouge, a water lotus had been painted. “Only the green lotus and red flower, unfurling and closing naturally.” The painting was elegant, and the lone lotus became the focal point, making it more intriguing than before.

 

Su Cen smiled and put down the painting, then looked at the second one.

 

He saw peach branches stretching out, peach blossoms in full bloom, falling like rain. Under the peach tree sat a woman holding a baby. The painting was inscribed with:

 

“The peach tree is young and elegant, its blossoms are bright.

The young lady is getting married, may she live well in her new home.”

 

 

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