A young woman had summoned all her courage, convinced she could overcome any obstacle, even the potential impotence of her beloved. It was all for the sake of the tender affection blossoming in her heart. Yet, time and again, she was met with rejection.
Wen Shiqing sat to the side, casting an occasional glance at Lu Xuechi, who remained huddled on the floor. Had Lu Xuechi’s singular act of initiative doomed her to a lifetime of withdrawal? Wen Shiqing felt a complex tangle of emotions.
*Sister, I truly am doing this for your own good. A long-term pain is worse than a short, sharp one.*
Unable to bear the sight any longer and fearing she might lose her resolve—or worse, soothe her and invite a spark of hope that should never exist—Wen Shiqing leaned on her cane and left Lu Xuechi alone in the hall, accompanied only by the sound of muffled sobs.
"Tell the servants not to enter the hall," Wen Shiqing commanded. "No one is to go in until Miss Lu comes out."
Having issued her orders, she turned to head toward the study. She had barely taken two steps when she saw her grandmother hurrying toward her, weeping. Usually, her grandmother was a picture of dignity and composure, but now her hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, and her expression was one of frantic anxiety.
"Oh, Qing’er, please, you must save your third uncle!"
The moment she saw Wen Shiqing, her grandmother lunged forward, gripping her sleeve tightly, her voice thick with sobs as she practically pleaded. Wen Shiqing, already unsteady on her cane, was nearly pulled over, saved only by a maid who reached out to steady her.
"Grandmother, isn't Third Uncle safe at the estate?" She clearly remembered locking him away.
Her grandmother shook her head, sobbing, "Your third uncle said he knew he was wrong. He said he wanted to see a bit of the world in the Capital, and that after that, he would settle down and study properly at home."
"So, you let him out?" Wen Shiqing’s eyes widened, her tone laced with frustration and reproach.
Dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, her grandmother nodded. "I felt for him, Qing’er. I thought if he wanted to contribute to the family for once, if he was finally willing to make an effort, I... I had no reason to stop him."
Wen Shiqing took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of irritation and anger, and asked softly, "So, what exactly happened to him?"
"The servant who went out with him just returned. He said your third uncle got into a situation on the street with someone..."
Her grandmother trailed off, her eyes darting away, hesitant. After a long moment of struggle, she gritted her teeth and continued, "In any case, he offended a high-ranking official, and your third uncle has been taken away."
Her voice choked up again. "Qing’er, you are an official too. Can’t you help him?"
"What did he do to the man?" Seeing her grandmother’s reluctance, Wen Shiqing grew increasingly anxious, her tone sharp with urgency and impatience.
Her grandmother wiped her eyes again, wavering repeatedly before stammering, "The servant said... he said your third uncle drank at a tavern and didn’t pay, intending to put it on a tab. But the people at the tavern said they had never heard of anyone named Wen from the Wen family. They sent someone to the manor to ask, but it happened just when our second young lady walked in. Since she can't speak clearly, the tavern assumed your third uncle was a fraud. They started fighting in the street, and then... he ended up injuring someone..."
"In the street... in front of a crowd... and then he was taken away."
Her grandmother added the final detail before covering her face with her handkerchief, afraid to look at Wen Shiqing’s expression.
Wen Shiqing felt a splitting headache and pressed her throbbing temples. "Grandmother, what do you expect me to do about Third Uncle?"
Her grandmother lowered the handkerchief, revealing a tear-stained face filled with longing and supplication. "Qing’er, you have wide connections and work in officialdom. Can’t you beg that high official to show mercy and release him? Our Wen family can pay the silver—as long as he returns home safely."
Wen Shiqing couldn't help but sneer. "Silver? Grandmother, the dozen or so people in the Wen family are all supported by my salary. Surely you know whether we have any extra silver or not?"
"But Qing’er, he is your third uncle! Even if we don’t have the silver, we must borrow some to save him!" Her grandmother’s tears flowed anew.
Wen Shiqing looked at her grandmother, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. Her memories of this third uncle were complex. On one hand, he was a shiftless loafer who caused constant trouble. On the other, he had actually been kind to her when she was young. Back then, the only men in the Wen family were her aged grandfather and her third uncle, who was not yet even twenty. The family had been weak and frequently bullied, but every time, her third uncle would act like a fearless, hot-headed youth, widening his eyes and rolling up his sleeves, fighting with all his might to drive the troublemakers away.
When Wen Shiqing was small, lacking a father and dressed as a boy, she had often looked toward her third uncle. She had wanted to learn how to be a man from him, watching the figure of this relative—only a few years her senior—with respect and admiration. But ever since she began attending school and spending more time away, the third uncle who once seemed so tall in her childhood memories had changed. He became idle, aimless, always wandering about with a blade of grass hanging from his mouth, looking like a complete drifter.
Wen Shiqing sighed softly. "Grandmother, let me clarify the situation first. But even if we use money to buy his freedom today, if Third Uncle continues to act this way in the Capital, he will only end up in trouble again tomorrow."
"I know, I know, Qing’er! If you can just bring him back safely this one time, I will watch him closely. I will never let him cause trouble for you or the Wen family again." Her grandmother gripped Wen Shiqing’s hand, her withered fingers trembling with desperation.
"Grandmother, in my view, if his life is not in danger, letting him reflect in a cell might not be a bad thing." It wasn't that she was cold-hearted; rather, paying to buy someone out was not a legitimate act. If he were innocent, he would be released naturally; if he truly had committed a crime, he could not escape the law. As long as his life wasn't at stake, a little physical suffering might help him learn a lesson.
Her grandmother shivered at these words, tears streaming from her eyes. "Qing’er, he is your third uncle! In that prison, with poor food and bedding, he will be bullied. How could I bear that?"
"Grandmother, this might be a good opportunity," Wen Shiqing said with a long sigh, attempting to persuade her patiently. "Third Uncle has only just arrived, and he’s already caused such a ruckus—drinking without paying, brawling in the street. While these aren't yet catastrophic, if he isn't given a small punishment to warn him now, he will surely cause a monumental disaster later. This is the Capital, under the Emperor's feet, where the laws are strict. By then, even if we wanted to save him, it would be too late. The regret would be bottomless."
Her grandmother’s sobbing gradually subsided, though her eyes remained filled with hesitation and reluctance.
After settling her grandmother, Wen Shiqing called the servant who had run back to get the details. It would have been better if she hadn't asked; the moment she heard the truth, a chill raced from her feet to her scalp.
The very place where her third uncle had been taken, on that congested street... and the high official her grandmother spoke of was... the Prince Regent, the Ninth Prince?