East of the main manor was a wing of unused courtyards. A garden path connected every courtyard.
Gaokang led Xiyun to one of these courtyards. “My wrists will hurt every time I try writing with a brush. I can’t write, which means I can’t handle the accounts either. Do you know how much this will delay my projects? Do you think I want to watch you like a hawk?”
The boy stepped inside first. “I had a hawk once.”
“What does that have to do wi-“
Slam!
A gate slammed shut just before Gaokang’s face.
“Stay out there,” the boy said from the other side of the gate.
Gaokang raised a fist but knew he would only hurt himself by slamming it on the door. He walked several paces and sat down at a stone chair and table. He clicked his tongue.
From the main manor, Gaokang’s carriage driver, the one who had fetched Steward Qiu earlier, came over to Gaokang holding a scroll and tablet.
“Mister Qiu, here is your personal tablet back. Steward Qiu also wanted me to give this to you.” the young light-bearded man handed over the objects in his hands.
Gaokang opened the scroll first and found instructions from his father on how to treat the boy who was the origin of today’s events. After he was done, he turned to his driver. “You know, you make an awfully good runner, Wei.”
“Please don’t demote me, Mister Qiu,” the young man said pitifully.
“Demote? I’m not demoting you, in fact, you are being promoted.”
Wei De did not believe his boss one bit.
“From now on, have the four treasures on you at all times. You will write what I say to write when I tell you to write, and deliver what you write to whoever I tell you to deliver it too. Understand?”
Wei De knew his wrists were going to cramp by the end of the day.
…
After Gaokang allowed Wei De to return home for the day, a figure jumped down from the nearby wall to face him.
Yeon returned. She had changed to another green tunic and both her arms were wrapped in white bandages. In her hand were a case and a bag.
The girl raised an eyebrow. “What? You want another fight?” Her new state was already settling. The various insights she gained during the fight had consumed her mind while she walked through the city. She was now officially in the upper state of Control. She was even more confident now than before.
Gaokang did not react. “How did you get in?”
“I jumped.”
“What about the guards?”
“What guards? There were no guards. They must be scared of me. It’s understandable.”
Gaokang’s expression darkened. I’m going to need to speak to the Eighth Lady about this. “As per Xiao Business Regulations, you may consider yourself a guest of the boy, a Xiao Family member, and stay. All your actions will be reflective of him.”
Yeon hissed but didn’t respond. She faced the courtyard gate. “He’s in here, right? Xiyun! Open the door, Xiyun. It’s me, Han Yeon!”
There was no response.
“Don’t you dare ignore me!”
Holding both luggage with one hand, Yeon did a light jump and caught the roof eave of the gate with her other hand. Swinging her body forward and then back, she successfully reverse-somersaulted into the courtyard.
Landing inside, she saw an open stone-paved courtyard with multiple rooms attached to its three sides away from the entrance wall. In the middle of the yard was a chiseled table surrounded by matching stools. Xiyun sat with his head against the table, buried within his arms.
Yeon stopped herself from saying something stupid and walked up to the boy instead. “Are you going to talk?”
The boy raised his head. “Maybe.”
Yeon placed everything down and sat on another stool. “So what are we going to do?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Things never go wrong when I do nothing. So, I’ll do nothing. That gate remains shut. What the world wants has nothing to do with me.”
Yeon rested her palm on the boy’s forehead.
“I’m not sick,” Xiyun said dispassionately but with a tinge of disbelief.
“Are you sure about that?”
Xiyun starred back.
“How are you going to eat then?” When only silence answered her, she opened Xiyun’s case to reveal several wrapped steamed pork buns. “I had to move your clothes to my bag to fit this.”
Xiyun immediately leaned over to grab them out of the box.
“See! You do like them,” Yeon said.
“They were going to ruin the books.”
Yeon snorted. She took one and began eating it. “They are popular here.”
Xiyun nodded, grasping one and unwrapping it in his hands.
“Then it’s time to start our strategy meeting.” Seeing Xiyun raise an eyebrow, she continued. “You have essentially been kidnapped and confined by your evil relatives. Thus, our newly established goal is to free you from here. Luckily for you, I am quite well versed in these types of scenarios.”
“Please don’t say you have read about this.”
Yeon took a second to rebalance herself. “My first plan is to break you out by force and leave the city.”
“You’ll be charged with kidnapping. A foreigner charged with kidnapping, A foreign expert charged with kidnapping someone from a wealthy family. The provincial government, the one in this exact city I might add, will immediately be notified.”
“I didn’t like that plan either. Which is why I thought of another genius plan. Officially leave the secular world. I will acknowledge you as my disciple, and you will become Mulsunhwan’s first third-generation disciple, with me, the talented Han Yeon, as your master. Then, the Grandmaster’s influence will offer you protection.”
“No,” Xiyun answered immediately. “There are so many reasons why I would object that I don’t even know where to begin to explain.”
“Name one reason!”
“If I’m going to be the first third-generation disciple, why haven’t any of your senior brothers and sisters taken on a disciple yet? Isn’t it because they can’t? Because your master has yet to allow it.”
Yeon turned her face away from him. She fidgeted at her seat. “Well, it’ll be preliminary. Like a trial- Yes! A trial disciple!”
Xiyun shook his head tiredly.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The entrance was not knocked but kicked several times.
Both the youth’s eyes went to the gate.
“It’s Qiu Gaokang,” the voice on the other side said.
“What do you want?” Yeon said.
“It pains me to hear any more of your stupidity, so I might as well offer some information.”
“How do you know its stupid?”
“I was eavesdropping the entire time.”
Xiyun reluctantly stood up and went to open the barred door.
Qiu Gaokang walked into the courtyard with wide steps. His scowl was haughtier than before.
Yeon eyed him suspiciously. “You were scared of my plan working, weren’t you? Or, did you want a bun to eat as well?”
Gaokang didn’t answer, facing Xiyun instead.
“Why am I kept here?” Xiyun asked.
“You’re a part of the main family. The Old Master has said so, therefore it is true.”
Xiyun frowned. “What is my position within the family?”
“Who knows, the entire estate must be trying to find out whose illegitimate son you are.”
“You can’t keep him locked here forever,” Yeon said.
Gaokang snorted. “We actually can, but who says we are? As a member of the family, Xiao Xiyun shall be provided with basic autonomy and welfare under one condition.” He had gotten the attention of the two youths. “He must abide by both the Clan Laws and Xiao Business Regulations. For example, providing service and donations to the clan is among the many requirements of the Clan Laws. In other words, as long as he acts as a model member of the family and stays within the city, he is free to do whatever he wants.”
“What are the Clans Laws and Xiao Business Regulations?” Yeon said.
“It’s not my job to recite the rules and regulations of the family to you. Go ask another member of the family.” Though Gaokang said this, he knew that no one else in the family would.
Yeon noticed that Xiyun was silent. “Have you heard of a large Xiao Family before?”
Xiyun shook his head. “There are several prominent people surnamed Xiao.”
Gaokang smiled with pride. “The Xiao Family has only emerged to prominence in the last hundred years, but our property and wealth rival that of The Seven Families.”
“The Seven Families?” Yeon asked.
Gaokang did not answer.
“They are the remnants of the old aristocracy. They trace their bloodlines to the King of Chao and the Spring and Autumn Dukes, from the periods before the First Emperor. They are the oldest families in Zhao that have remained strong throughout the eras, whereas other families have become obscure. Several of the dynasties during the Millennium of Instability have been ruled by them. Even the current Imperial House of Li is one of the seven. ‘Longxing’s Li.’ ‘The Li Family of Longxing.’ They hold many prominent positions within the court, produce many chancellors, and only marry their children to one of the other seven. However, as dynasties continue to rise and fall, they will eventually be replaced by the bureaucracy,” Xiyun answered for Yeon.
Even Gaokang had to admit that he had yet to hear an account as concise as the boy’s phrasing. “Just know that the Xiao Family achieved all that they have as a merchant family.”
Xiyun narrowed his eyes.
“It’s unbelievable, but it’s all the work of the Old Master.” Qiu Gaokang turned around. “Stay in here and don’t give me more work.” He left the courtyard.
“Is being a prominent merchant family that uncommon?” Yeon watched the man leave.
Xiyun nodded. “The court is supported by scholarly and military families and the inverse is also true. There is no place for merchants. I may know how the Xiao Family rose. Despite being one, Emperor Taizong hated The Seven Families for their ability to interfere with the court. During his reign, he raised the standings of many new families in an attempt to bring down The Seven Families. The Xiao Family could be one of these families.”
Yeon suddenly grasped the ledge of the round table. The girl lifted the entire solid stone by herself.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m moving this thing away from the gate. Eavesdropping, he says!”
Xiyun surrendered and carried his stool closer to the northern building.
“So, does any of this new information change anything?” Yeon said.
It surprised Xiyun how much he had to think about it. “No.”
“What about these Clan Laws and Xiao Business Regulations?”
“I don’t need to know them.” Xiyun already knew what he wanted to do. Although Yeon couldn’t help him because she would be held responsible, he could still run away by himself.
Yeon’s eyebrow raised.
Xiyun looked towards the sun that was lowering into the horizon. “If they force me to do something, then they can do so. But, I’ll never consciously do something I don’t want to do.”
Yeon raised her hand and touched her lips. She found a smile there. When she thought about why, she found that it was because the words she heard were something that could have just as easily come out of her own mouth.
“Alright,” Yeon said. “You know, the script of ‘Xiao’ written at the entrance was actually familiar looking.”
“Maybe you heard of someone surnamed Xiao before.”
“No, ‘Xiao’ pronounced in the Peninsula’s dialect is distinctly different. I know I haven’t heard anyone say the name since I’ve entered Zhao. If I find Xiao this familiar, I have to have seen the Old Script sometime after entering Zhao.” Yeon hands gripped her head. “Argh! I can’t remember! How is this so difficult!”
“Leave it be.” They had passed many places when traveling, it was probable she saw it written somewhere.
Yeon nodded. She made the final adjustments to the position of the table and began exploring the rooms. The eastern building had a kitchen, pantry, storage, and bath. The northern building had three rooms. The western building had three rooms and a latrine. She decided that the first room in the northern building was hers.
“You are actually happy about something,” Xiyun took the initiative to say.
Yeon froze.
“You don’t have to be guilty about it.”
Yeon faced the boy. “I have progressed a state in my cultivation.”
“Congratulations,” Xiyun sincerely answered.
“Thank you.”