(1) The Manor Lord's Wife

Tian Xu himself, without quite meaning to, furrowed his brow as well. He fell silent, deep in thought, for a long moment, then slowly let out two words: "No."

The instant this explosive answer left his mouth, Guo Huilian was thoroughly stunned. Though she had already harbored her suspicions in her heart, hearing the answer confirmed directly from Tian Xu's own lips instantly cemented what had, until now, been only an uncertain guess. Nor had she expected Tian Xu to be so blunt, so direct about it—if this matter hadn't needed to be kept secret, why had they never let her in on it these past three years at Yueyue Manor? And if it truly did need to be kept secret, then why was Tian Xu now so willing to lay it all bare without reservation? Perhaps her expression betrayed too much shock, and perhaps that very shock left her momentarily unable to speak, for Tian Xu went on: "My original surname is Cheng. Because of my unusual circumstances, in order to ensure my lifelong safety, Mother arranged for me an entirely different identity—she struck a bargain with Father's sworn friend across the generations, the garrison commander of the Tian clan, offering an annual sum of one hundred and fifty thousand strings of cash toward Weibo's military expenses in exchange for having me entered into the Tian clan's genealogical register, thereby concealing my true origins. Should the need ever arise, I could at any time be removed from the Tian clan register and restored to my original surname. No one beyond the garrison commander himself and his wife, Lady Sun, was ever told of this—it was kept an absolute secret from everyone else, even from his own sons—and so throughout Weibo, everyone assumed Mother was simply a woman he kept privately, outside his household. After Tian Yue succeeded to the position of military governor, my annual tribute to Weibo never lapsed, and it remains unbroken to this day, now that my kinsman who shares my name has taken charge—all so that I might continue to enjoy the Tian clan's protection within Weibo."

"If this is such a critical secret, why would Tenth Brother tell me?" Guo Huilian's eyes went wide, her gaze filled with bewilderment.

"Because in the past, I thought too shallowly about it—I always assumed the less you knew of the truth, the safer you'd be. And I feared, too, that Yueyue Manor might be able to shelter you for a time, but not for a lifetime, and so I never intended to let you know at all."

"Then why has Tenth Brother had a change of heart now?"

"It wasn't until you left the manor that I suddenly realized just how badly I'd erred. Not only did it leave a great emptiness within my own heart, it also left you exposed to danger, and you were seized and held hostage because of it. I've cursed myself for it—worrying only that the danger hidden behind Yueyue Manor might, at some unknowable point in the future, come to implicate you, while all along I was the one pushing you straight into a crisis unfolding right before my eyes. The regret and self-reproach in my heart are beyond words... Thank heaven you came through unharmed, or I could never have forgiven myself." Tian Xu spoke earnestly, gazing at Guo Huilian with utter sincerity.

Today's Tian Xu was unlike any version of himself she had known before—just a moment ago he had ridden through the streets with his arm wrapped around her waist for all to see, and now he was sharing with her all these intimate confidences. Though Guo Huilian's mind had always worked quickly, she now found herself entirely at a loss for how to respond to him, and could only stare at him, dumbstruck.

"Perhaps, in some way beyond understanding, Mother had already recognized you as her own daughter-in-law, and that is why the bond between us has always felt so different from any other. Even Father dotes on you above anyone else, recognizing only you as his daughter-in-law..." As he said this, Tian Xu himself grew a little bashful, and without meaning to, lowered his head, his ears flushing red.

Hearing Tian Xu mention him, Yue Heng couldn't help but jump in and pile on. "Naturally." This only made Guo Huilian's face flush redder still. She lowered her head, staring fixedly at the tips of her own shoes, no longer daring to look up. She could only feel her face burning hotter and hotter, her hands with nowhere to go, her whole body frozen stiff, like a wooden puppet.

Seeing this, Xiaoba tugged at Yue Heng's sleeve and murmured under his breath, "Let's not go mucking about here—let those two sort it out between themselves, slowly." He was reminded of the time, years ago, when the Master had first confessed his feelings to the Mistress, and had specifically instructed him and Young Master Yue to make themselves scarce, and stay scarce. Though more than twenty years had passed since then, he still remembered it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. Today, with the rare sight of the Manor Lord baring his heart in front of Guo Huilian, he thought he and Young Master Yue ought to make themselves scarce as well.

"No." Tian Xu said firmly. "I ask Father and Uncle Xiaoba to bear witness, to serve as proof of my true feelings for Yaya. I cannot promise I'll be able to stay by Yaya's side into old age—danger, after all, could come at any moment—but I am willing, for as long as I live, to devote my heart wholly to Yaya, to protect her safety and wellbeing, and to live each day, steadily and truly, at her side. Yaya, this concerns the great matter of your whole life, and it touches on your very safety as well—the moment you agree to become the Manor Lord's wife of Yueyue Manor, you will inevitably be bound to me and to Yueyue Manor through fortune and misfortune alike, through life and death together. Whatever you decide, you must think it through carefully—there is no need to rush your answer." He gently took hold of Guo Huilian's stiffened hands and patted them softly. "But I do hope you won't make me wait too long."

Noticing that Guo Huilian's hands had gone as rigid and cold as if they'd just been pulled from an ice cellar, and that she had lowered her head in silence, Tian Xu spoke again, softly: "Father, because he refused, absolutely, to make any compromise with those villains, was tortured mercilessly for nearly fourteen years, and was separated from Mother, from Yue Heng, and from Uncle Xiaoba for nearly fourteen years as well. It wasn't until his body could no longer withstand the ravages of the poison any longer, when he was already fading toward the end of his life, that those villains finally let word slip, hoping to lure us in and catch us all in a single net. It was on that very day that Father and Mother both passed away, one after the other—the first time I ever laid eyes on Father was also the last..." As he spoke, tears welled faintly in Tian Xu's eyes, and Xiaoba, too, wept silently beside him.

Sensing something was terribly wrong, Guo Huilian looked up in shock at Tian Xu, whose eyes now brimmed with tears, and instinctively reached out, wanting to wipe them away with her own sleeve.

Tian Xu shook his head to show it wasn't necessary, then gently took Guo Huilian's hand once more and continued, "Because the blow was so devastating, so unbearable, and because the people beneath me took advantage of my youth to deceive and manipulate behind my back, running rampant with no restraint at all, the pressure from both within and without triggered a chill-ailment I'd already recovered from as a child, once again. It was in Chang'an, in that state, that I encountered General Guo, who came to my aid—and that was how your fate and mine first became entwined."

Guo Huilian was momentarily stunned—she was startled that Tian Xu would speak such deeply affectionate words, and make such intimate gestures, so openly, without a trace of shame, in full view of everyone present. And it wasn't only her adoptive father and Uncle Xiaoba here now—outside stood Instructor Zhu and a whole dark mass of hidden guards who hadn't yet dispersed. She was mortified nearly to death; she lowered her head again, and, in her embarrassment, drew her hand back from Tian Xu's grasp, feeling entirely at a loss for what to do with herself. She hastily turned to flee back to her own room, but no sooner had her foot crossed the threshold than Instructor Zhu, standing just outside the door, bowed deeply and respectfully and said, "We bid farewell to the Manor Lord's Wife." Immediately after, all the hidden guards followed suit, bowing respectfully in unison and reading the room perfectly, calling out together, "We bid farewell to the Manor Lord's Wife." This left Guo Huilian utterly flustered, not knowing what to do with herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she even caught sight of Han Jian, who had been standing outside waiting for an audience with the Manor Lord, smiling as he, too, bowed to her in greeting.

"Don't just go calling me that..." Guo Huilian was now mortified beyond all hope of recovery; at that moment she would have given anything for a hole in the ground to swallow her whole, but such a wish was hardly realistic, so she could only hitch up the hem of her skirt and flee, at a dead run, toward her own room.

Watching Guo Huilian's retreating figure as she fled in such disarray, Tian Xu couldn't help but let a faint smile spread across his face—what an adorable girl. Xiaoba, meanwhile, gave a thumbs-up in praise. "The Manor Lord truly is someone who has managed the whole of Yueyue Manor's affairs since the age of thirteen—decisive and forthright even in matters of his own marriage, without the slightest hesitation. Forget the two of us bachelors, Young Master Yue and myself—even the old Master himself might have to admit he falls short by comparison! The Manor Lord truly has some nerve..."

"Speak for yourself if you like, but why drag me into it?" Yue Heng shot him a look of pure disdain, making as if to strike him. Xiaoba nimbly darted behind Tian Xu, and for a moment the whole atmosphere turned rather cheerful.

Just then, Han Jian strode in through the door with an easy, lighthearted gait, his face likewise full of smiles, and said with delight, "It seems our manor has a joyous occasion drawing near."

"Joy is all well and good, but let's not lose ourselves in it and forget our wits. Chang'an is still riddled with danger at every turn, and with Yu Shurong now tangled up in this affair, it's all the more not to be taken lightly—I fear it's a sign of a coming storm." Yue Heng's expression turned stern as he cautioned everyone present, then added, "We all know full well who stands behind Yu Shurong. Even if Yu Shurong protests his innocence, that's no reason to take him at his word."

"Young Master Yue speaks truly." Xiaoba set aside his cheerful mood at once. Yu Shurong had never been an easy man to deal with, and relying on the power behind him, he ran wild and unchecked throughout Chang'an. If the person behind him had indeed had a hand in this incident, that could only spell further trouble.

"Yu Shurong?" Han Jian's brow furrowed, his eyes clouded with confusion. "He's the one who abducted them?"

"We're not certain, but he was the one holding Yaya hostage at the scene—it surprised us as much as anyone," Tian Xu explained.

"This affair is not likely to be so simple..." Han Jian mused for a long moment.

"I ask Uncle Xiaoba to give the order—send our hidden guards to keep a close watch on both Yu Shurong and Dou Wenchang. Both of these men have people around them at all times, so be especially careful in the surveillance, and take great pains not to let our presence be discovered, lest it arouse suspicion."

"Xiaoba accepts the order." Xiaoba bowed respectfully and took his leave at once; Zhu Muhui likewise bowed respectfully to Tian Xu and Yue Heng before following after Xiaoba, and the hidden guards departed as well, filing out in orderly waves behind Xiaoba and Zhu Muhui.

"If I may venture a guess, that Yu Shurong would never allow himself to be caught by the authorities—though even if he were caught, Dou Wenchang could bail him out at once regardless—but since no one saw him at the scene, it won't immediately serve as a key piece of evidence in reconstructing the case..." Tian Xu said, after a long moment of thought.

"I ask Uncle Han to send someone to the government office's hidden watch post to gather word, and to confirm without fail whether anyone at the magistrate's office actually laid eyes on Yu Shurong."

"Understood." Han Jian accepted the order, and was just turning to leave when Tian Xu stopped him.

"One more thing, if it's not too much trouble, Uncle Han—please ask Auntie Li, the wife of Second Wang from our inn's staff, to come help draw Yaya's bath. She's helped Yaya every year when she returns to Chang'an to pay respects to her family. Auntie Li is quick and diligent with her hands, and kind-natured besides—Xu'er suspects that in the future, Yaya will be coming to Chang'an with me more often, so perhaps we could ask Auntie Li whether she'd be willing to take on the dedicated task of attending to Yaya's daily needs?"

Hearing this, Han Jian couldn't help but laugh. So Tian Xu had already decided, with full confidence, that Guo Huilian would agree to marry him, and had gone ahead and made all these arrangements for her future needs well in advance. Once Guo Huilian became the Manor Lord's wife, it would only be natural for her to accompany the Manor Lord on his travels to Chang'an—no doubt Tian Xu was already looking forward to being able to bring Guo Huilian along on future trips to the capital, and this arrangement could certainly be called a case of "far-reaching foresight."

"With the Manor Lord so utterly confident, I'll go see to it right away..."