Chapter 88

Jiangjia Village, Jiang Cuicui's home.
Even after the imperial eunuch had finished reading the edict, Jiang Cuicui still hadn't fully grasped it. So, Shitou was actually the current emperor, and the emperor had even granted her grandfather the title of Baron Huaishan.
Village Chief Jiang was equally stunned.
The eunuch smiled and said, “Congratulations on your promotion, Baron.”
Village Chief Jiang accepted the edict in a daze and thanked the eunuch, who then asked, “I have two more edicts to announce. Do you know where Jiang Sheyu and Xie Yu live? His Majesty has also appointed them to official positions.”
“He is Jiang Sheyu,” Village Chief Jiang said, pointing to the man lying in a wheelchair, wrapped in bandages. “Some time ago, A’Yu's home was robbed, and he was severely beaten. He still hasn't recovered.”
Jiang Sheyu said weakly, “I am unable to kneel and receive the edict due to my condition. I beg your forgiveness, sir.”
The eunuch quickly replied, “There is no need for formalities, Lord Jiang. Your health comes first. I am sure His Majesty will understand.”
With that, the eunuch began to read the edict. Xiao Changyuan had appointed Jiang Sheyu as a seventh-rank Compiler of the Hanlin Academy.
Beneath the bandages, Jiang Sheyu's eyes widened in shock, his heart roiling with turmoil. He lowered his gaze, suppressing his astonishment, and said respectfully, “Your subject receives the decree.”
The eunuch handed the edict to Jiang Sheyu. “Have the bandits who injured you been captured?”
“Not yet.”
“Such vile criminals deserve to be wiped from the earth.”
“...”
Jiang Sheyu's expression remained impassive. The vile criminal who deserved to be wiped from the earth was the very tyrant who had sent this eunuch to deliver the edict.
After finishing here, Village Chief Jiang led the eunuch to Xie Yu's home to announce the edict to Xie Yu and his brother.
Jiangjia Village was remote, and the villagers had never seen a live eunuch or sword, bearing guards before. They crowded around the courtyard to watch the excitement. Upon hearing that an imperial edict was to be announced, the villagers outside knelt cautiously. After the eunuch finished reading the edict, he instructed Xie Yu to set off for Luojing early the next morning, then left Jiangjia Village.
After he departed, the villagers congratulated Xie Yu.
“A Yu is becoming more and more accomplished.”
“Who would have thought Shitou was the current emperor?”
“He saved my life, you know.”
“I always thought His Majesty was extraordinary and destined for greatness, but I never imagined he would be the emperor.”
“And our A Yu is so clever, earning the emperor's favor, so young and already set to become an official.”
Chen Fashan watched from afar as the villagers crowded around Xie Yu and Mu Bai, offering their congratulations. His face remained calm as still water, but his heart was a turmoil of emotions, difficult to settle. He had originally planned to marry Jiang Cuicui only after achieving fame and fortune through the imperial examinations, yet Xie Yu had gained them without even sitting for the exams.
So effortlessly.
They had started from the same point, but now, he could only hide in the shadows, watching helplessly as Xie Yu soared high, his future bright and promising, while he still had to toil away, burning the midnight oil.
He felt deeply resentful yet, he had no choice but to accept his fate.
After all, he had failed to seize the opportunity when it mattered.
If given another chance, he would never seek revenge against Xiao Changyuan.
Instead, he would befriend him and plan for his own future.
The next day, Xie Yu and Mu Bai hitched up an ox cart, taking the bandage, wrapped Jiang Sheyu with them, and left Jiangjia Village amid the villagers' enthusiastic cheers, filled with ambition and confidence.
Village Chief Jiang was enfeoffed as the Baron of Huaishan. Though he did not have to go to the capital, Luojing, to take up an official post, the status gap between Jiang Cuicui and Chen Fashan grew ever wider. Jiang Cuicui's parents increasingly looked down on Chen Fashan, often treating him with disdain.
Chen Fashan refused to give up on Jiang Cuicui.
He often wrote her letters, expressing his admiration and vowing to marry her one day.
Chen Fashan had a rebellious streak.
The more others looked down on him, the more they oppressed him, the more he fought back, the more he rebelled.
He was determined to make everyone see him in a new light.
Chen Fashan gritted his teeth in resolve.
He would marry Jiang Cuicui, no matter what.
Driven by this goal, Chen Fashan studied day and night, and the following year, he finally passed the county, level imperial examination, qualifying for the provincial exams and becoming a xiucai.
In ancient times, a xiucai was quite respected, but Jiang Cuicui's parents still did not regard Chen Fashan highly, sneering, “Do you think just because you've become a xiucai, you're worthy of our Cuicui? Our Cuicui is now the granddaughter of a baron!”
Jiang Cuicui blushed deeply and said, “Mother.”
Chen Fashan, pale, faced, looked at Cuicui's mother and asked, “What must I do to be considered a match for Cuicui?”
Cuicui's mother replied, “At the very least, you must become a juren.”
Chen Fashan's gaze was resolute. “In this year's provincial exams, I will surely come out on top and become a juren.”
Cuicui's mother waved her hand dismissively. “We'll talk about it when you've actually done it.”
Before long, it was time for the autumn examinations.
In the golden autumn of August, the osmanthus flowers filled the air with their fragrance.
All the scholars gathered at the provincial examination hall in the state capital to participate in the imperial examination. The Mo Kingdom's provincial exam consisted of three consecutive sessions, each lasting three days. The official results were soon announced.
The top scorer was Zhou Shan.
Zhou Shan was the alias Chen Fashan used to conceal his identity.
The news quickly spread from the state capital to Jiangjia Village.
Even Cuicui's mother was astonished.
“He really came first in the exam?”
Cuicui's cousin, his eyes shining, nodded excitedly. “His name was on the official list. Who would have thought Zhou Shan was so brilliant? Even our teacher praised his essay, saying he is surely a promising talent.”
Upon learning of his success, Chen Fashan immediately went to Cuicui's mother to propose marriage, but she still refused him. “I know your feelings for Cuicui are sincere, but she is my only daughter. Putting myself in your shoes, I truly cannot bear to marry her off to someone as frail as you.”
Chen Fashan could sense that her attitude had softened considerably, so he humbly replied, “I know I am not worthy of Cuicui, but my feelings are hard to suppress. Please, Madam, give me this chance. I would do anything for Cuicui, even die for her.”
Chen Fashan had pursued Jiang Cuicui for a long time, from the cold of winter through the warmth of spring and summer, and into the golden autumn. He had even forgotten why he had started pursuing her in the first place, knowing only that he must win her over. Marrying Jiang Cuicui had become his obsession. Even he could not tell how much of what he had just said was sincere and how much was feigned.
Jiang Cuicui's eyes reddened. “A, Shan.”
Cuicui's mother looked at the resolute Chen Fashan, then at the deeply moved Jiang Cuicui. She slowly closed her eyes and said, “Enough, enough. I don’t want to be the one who stands in the way of true love. The young will have their own fortunes.”
A smile bloomed on Chen Fashan's pale, handsome face.
“Thank you, Madam!”
Jiang Cuicui wept for joy. “Thank you, Mother!”
Their wedding was held in winter. Chen Fashan spent all his savings to host a three, day banquet in Jiangjia Village, inviting all the villagers to celebrate. The villagers raised their glasses to congratulate him, and Chen Fashan thanked them graciously, his handsome face flushed with drink.
That night, Chen Fashan lifted the red veil and saw Jiang Cuicui's shy, timid eyes beneath, her cheeks flushed. His throat tightened, his gaze deepened, and he leaned in to cover her.
Two years of waiting.
Today, he had finally achieved his wish.
Chen Fashan had dreamed of marrying Jiang Cuicui only to divorce her later, making her family beg him in tears and regret their past coldness toward him.
But when that day actually arrived, Chen Fashan found himself reluctant to let her go.
Although Jiang Cuicui was a village girl, low in status and uncouth, she was charming and gentle, especially in bed, where she was exceptionally endearing.
He had tasted her sweetness and found it hard to give up.
Chen Fashan thought he could always divorce her after he grew tired of her.
Little did he know that he would wait until he achieved the top honors in the imperial exams, becoming the youngest Zhuangyuan in Mo Country, and Jiang Cuicui would become the Zhuangyuan's wife. Cuicui's mother was overjoyed; she had never dreamed that the sickly Chen Fashan would have such great fortune, even becoming the top scholar.
But after the joy came the parting.
After Chen Fashan achieved the title of top scholar in the imperial examinations, the emperor appointed him as a sixth-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He was to depart for the capital immediately to assume his post. Accompanied by Jiang Cuicui, Chen Fashan bid farewell to their parents and headed to Luojing, where they purchased a residence and settled down in the imperial city.
Their married life was harmonious and blissful.
As the youngest top scholar of the dynasty, Chen Fashan had a limitless future ahead of him, which attracted the attention of many noble ladies. Upon learning that he already had a wife, they began to extend olive branches, hoping he would divorce his current spouse and marry one of them instead.
Chen Fashan had no political backing in the court.
If he wanted to establish a firm foothold in the imperial city, forming alliances through marriage would have been his best option.
Yet, Chen Fashan did not take this path.
Even he himself did not know why.
Could it be that he had truly fallen in love with her?
No, that was impossible.
Chen Fashan quickly dismissed the thought.
He desperately tried to console himself, reasoning that he did not want to divorce Jiang Cuicui simply because he had not yet grown tired of her. Until that day came, no one could separate them.
The imperial city was never short of banquets and feasts.
After arriving in the capital, Chen Fashan often brought Jiang Cuicui to various lavish gatherings, introducing her to others.
Jiang Cuicui came from a remote rural area. Although she had been raised delicately, she was still worlds apart from the elite. During drinking games, she could not utter a single word, so embarrassed that she wished she could hide under the table.
Fortunately, Chen Fashan came to her rescue, calm and composed, effortlessly reciting a poem that stunned everyone present.
After the banquet ended, Jiang Cuicui overheard mocking voices from ahead: “Did you see the top scholar's wife just now? She couldn't even manage a simple poetry game. It's utterly laughable. I can't believe the top scholar isn't ashamed to bring her out.”
“A country bumpkin from the countryside, what could she possibly know about poetry? I bet she can't even write her own name. She had to rely on the top scholar to save her.”
“She's nothing but a pheasant who thinks she's a phoenix just because she landed on a high branch. How ridiculous.”
“Shh, I think she's behind us.”
“So what if she is? My father is the Left Chancellor of the court. What can she do even if she hears us?”
Jiang Cuicui's face flushed and paled alternately, as if she had been slapped in the face, but she dared not retaliate.
Had this happened in Jiangjia Village, she would have rushed forward to confront them, scratching their faces and pulling their hair. But this was Luojing, the emperor's domain, and they were noble ladies. Jiang Cuicui did not dare provoke them, fearing it would harm Chen Fashan's career.
She kept her head lowered, afraid to look at the expression on Chen Fashan's face, worried that he too would look down on her.
Just like those noble ladies.
So, she did not see the dark scowl on Chen Fashan's face.
That night, Chen Fashan held Jiang Cuicui with an almost savage intensity, as if taking out his anger on her. Jiang Cuicui burst into tears, and Chen Fashan lowered his head to kiss her.
“Cuicui, I will make sure they die a miserable death.”
Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. The words of those noble ladies had enraged Chen Fashan. Jiang Cuicui was his wife, only he alone had the right to bully her. What gave those noble ladies the right to mistreat his woman?
Chen Fashan pledged his allegiance to the Right Chancellor and, in less than a month, brought down the Left Chancellor. For his meritorious service in handling the case, he was appointed as the Chief of the Dali Temple. Although his rank was the same as that of a Hanlin Academy compiler, both sixth rank, he held real power. Chen Fashan personally executed the daughter of the Left Chancellor. As for those who had mocked Jiang Cuicui that day, he would lock them up in the imperial prison one by one, making them regret ever uttering those words.
No official is clean, as long as he wanted to arrest them, he could find their weaknesses.
After Chen Fashan took up his post at the Dali Temple, he became increasingly harsh with Jiang Cuicui in bed. Jiang Cuicui thought he had begun to despise her and often wept behind his back.
Her health gradually deteriorated.
She felt she was unworthy of A’Shan.
It was only right that Ah’Shan had grown tired of her.
Yet she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
Chen Fashan assumed Jiang Cuicui was grieving over the words of the noble ladies, so he became even more ruthless in his work, often staying overnight at the Dali Temple and not returning home for days.
Jiang Cuicui felt deeply abandoned, frequently unable to eat or sleep. Later, she began vomiting severely.
Zhou Qiren, Chen Fashan's nominal uncle who now lived in the West Courtyard, examined her pulse and joyfully announced, “Congratulations, Madam. You are with child.”
Jiang Cuicui was stunned.
Zhou Qiren immediately sent someone to deliver the news to Chen Fashan at the Dali Temple. Chen Fashan did not return until evening. His official robes were stained with blood, likely from interrogations during the day. He changed into clean clothes before going to see Jiang Cuicui, embracing her in his arms.
“Cuicui, you've worked hard.”
Tears suddenly streamed down Jiang Cuicui's face.
“I'm not tired.”
Zhou Qiren asked Chen Fashan to speak with him in the West Courtyard, dismissing all attendants and ensuring no one would disturb them.
Only the two of them remained in the courtyard.
Zhou Qiren spoke earnestly, “Cuicui has been growing thinner lately, unable to eat. Now that she is pregnant, the situation is even more precarious. Your Majesty, please do not make her sad anymore.”
Chen Fashan remained silent.
Seeing his demeanor, Zhou Qiren thought he still intended to harm Jiang Cuicui. With a tone of compassion, he said, “Does Your Majesty not have even a shred of genuine affection for Cuicui?”
Jiang Cuicui happened to be looking for Chen Fashan and overheard this question at the courtyard gate. Instinctively, she hid behind the door.
The night was hazy, with dark clouds obscuring the moon.
Her heart pounded wildly.
She heard Chen Fashan's cold, mocking laugh.
“How could I possibly fall in love with a village girl?”
Jiang Cuicui's face turned as pale as paper, the blood in her veins freezing as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.
But even more terrifying words followed.
Chen Fashan scoffed disdainfully, “If Yun Pianpian hadn't intervened back when I tried to kill her, Jiang Cuicui would have long been a handful of dust.”
He could never admit that he loved Jiang Cuicui.
He simply hadn't grown tired of playing with her, it was impossible for him to love a village girl.
That was utterly ridiculous.
Chen Fashan deceived himself and he deceived others as well.
He fooled everyone but he could not fool his own heart.
Hearing Chen Fashan's icy words, a string in Jiang Cuicui's mind snapped abruptly.
She suddenly remembered that cold early winter day when Chen Fashan confessed his feelings to her, there had been many unnatural moments. The pearl hairpin he raised only to put down again, the instant stiffness in his expression, these details now loomed large in her memory, magnified infinitely by his recent words.
Jiang Cuicui’s heart ached as if being twisted. Her slender, pale fingers clenched the front of her robe, the tips of her fingers turning white from the pressure. Tears streamed down her face as she wept uncontrollably.
So that was it.
So A’Shan hadn’t intended to confess his feelings to her back then, he had wanted to kill her.
Jiang Cuicui fled from the west courtyard, her face deathly pale.
When Chen Fashan returned to the main courtyard and saw Jiang Cuicui’s pallid face and bloodless lips, he assumed she was upset because of the noble ladies. He comforted her, saying, “Cuicui, don’t worry. I will kill everyone who bullied you.”
Jiang Cuicui nodded weakly, her expression haggard.
He was so bloodthirsty, she feared that one day he would kill her.
The next day, after Chen Fashan left for the Dali Temple, Jiang Cuicui left a farewell letter, hired a carriage, and left the capital. Chen Fashan’s eyelid had been twitching all day. He returned to the Chen residence early but couldn’t find Jiang Cuicui, only a letter on the table.
Chen Fashan opened the letter, his face turning ashen. So Jiang Cuicui had overheard his conversation with Zhou Qiren last night. She knew about his murderous intentions toward her and had decided to divorce him, vowing never to see him again.
Chen Fashan immediately mounted his horse and gave chase.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a torrential downpour began. Thunder roared. Drenched by the heavy rain, Chen Fashan chased all the way outside the city, his clothes soaked through. Just as he was about to catch up to the carriage ahead, the storm triggered a landslide. The narrow valley path was blocked by rocks and mud, and the carriage was instantly buried under the overwhelming cascade of earth and stone.
Chen Fashan’s eyes widened in horror.
“No.”