Chapter Seventeen: All Memorials to the Capital of Jinling (1)

Yang Residence.

After receiving Yang Kuan’s report, Yang Qi’s expression remained stern and cold, showing none of the furious rage that Yang Kuan had anticipated. Instead, it was Lady Zheng, Yang Qi’s wife, who erupted with anger, harshly berating Kong Sheng for his lack of appreciation.

Yang Qi raised his hand, putting a stop to his wife’s endless complaints. “That’s enough, madam. Leave this matter for now. I have my own plans.”

At his words, Lady Zheng’s face changed; after a moment’s hesitation, she obediently fell silent, turned on her heel, and swept back into the inner hall. In the Yang household, as head of the family, Yang Qi’s authority was absolute. No matter how dissatisfied Lady Zheng might feel, she could not openly contradict him before the servants.

Yang Qi slowly lifted his gaze to Yang Kuan, his eyes cold and shadowed.

Yang Kuan felt a chill of dread; unable to meet his master’s gaze, he bowed his head and stood respectfully, scarcely daring to breathe.

“Yang Kuan, spread the word: let it be known that Kong Sheng, in his arrogance, refused the Yang family’s offer of marriage, incurring my thunderous wrath…” Yang Qi’s voice was low and powerful, commanding. Yang Kuan immediately assented, bowing deeply before hastening out of the reception hall.

Watching Yang Kuan’s anxious retreat, a peculiar smile flickered at the corner of Yang Qi’s lips—one that was impossible to decipher.

In truth, Yang Qi had long since anticipated Kong Sheng’s response. At the poetry gathering that day, Kong Sheng had already declined the match with polite words before an audience; what difference would today make? But a refusal now did not mean Kong Sheng would never yield. Yang Qi, calculating and patient, was certain that sooner or later Kong Sheng would be forced into his grasp, so there was no need to rush.

By having Yang Kuan circulate such rumors, Yang Qi was covertly manipulating events. Kong Sheng had made many enemies in Jiangning Prefecture; in the past, these people had refrained from acting out of deference to the Yang family. Now, with a signal from Yang Qi, how could they restrain themselves?

Thus, the Yang family need not lift a finger, nor would Yang Qi have to bear the infamy of oppressing a junior kinsman. Others would naturally step forward to humble Kong Sheng’s arrogance on the Yang family’s behalf. As Kong Sheng faced obstruction and retaliation at every turn in Jiangning, finding life increasingly difficult, he would eventually bow to the Yang family of his own accord. Yang Qi could afford to wait and watch the drama unfold from afar.

On the other hand, Yang Qi was curious to see how Kong Sheng would handle this ordeal. This young man from the Kong family, who had so inexplicably transformed from a scoundrel into a prodigy, what secrets and mysteries did he conceal? Yang Qi’s interest was piqued.

Moreover, Yang Qi intended to use this incident to test the loyalty of local officials and the great aristocratic families of Jiangnan. As long as he did not openly sever ties with Kong Sheng, the latter remained a scion of the Yang family’s old allies. Any house that failed to consider this carefully revealed that Yang Qi’s authority did not sufficiently intimidate them—and that would require action.

Completely unaware of her father’s hidden machinations, Yang Xue Ruo now sat, her slender, snow-white fingers holding the reply from Kong Sheng that Hong Mian had brought. She stared at the two lines of elegant, forceful calligraphy, her expression somewhat dazed.

“Once you have seen the vast ocean, no other waters will suffice; apart from Mount Wu, no clouds are worth admiring.” Yang Xue Ruo softly recited, her voice complex, but the look in her eyes was not one of disappointment or resentment. Instead, it was marked by a certain steadfast determination.

A young woman’s heart, especially one as noble and learned as Yang Xue Ruo, is always elusive and difficult to fathom, not to be judged by common sense. Though she had taken the initiative to express her feelings, had Kong Sheng simply accepted, she might have looked down on him. Now, hearing his gentle refusal in the form of these two lines of poetry, she found her heart stirred even more.

Hong Mian could not discern her mistress’s complicated thoughts. She did not understand the true meaning of those words but guessed they were not exactly “good news”—certainly not what the young lady had hoped for. Standing behind Yang Xue Ruo, Hong Mian hesitated for a long time before finally giving in to her curiosity. “Miss, is this a poem? I can’t make sense of it! I knew that rascal was lazy—using these two lines to brush you off, how hateful!”

Yang Xue Ruo sighed softly. “Hong Mian, you don’t understand. Though brief, these two lines of poetry speak more to me than a thousand words ever could.”

“Miss, could you explain what it means?” Hong Mian pleaded. Having accompanied Yang Xue Ruo since childhood, the two were more like sisters than mistress and maid. In private, Hong Mian dared to speak freely—but only in private; before others or the Yang couple, she would never cross that line.

Seniority and hierarchy were strict, unbreakable rules of this era and society. Even someone like Kong Sheng, if he wished to fit in, would have to respect and abide by these boundaries.

After a moment’s silence, Yang Xue Ruo replied in a gentle tone, “It means that for someone who has seen the boundless ocean, other streams and lakes no longer attract; that is, more or less, what it means.”

Though only a servant, Hong Mian found the meaning was not hard to grasp. After a brief reflection, she realized that Kong Sheng was refusing her mistress. Her cheeks flushed with anger, her brows arched in indignation. “Miss, how dare he be so ungrateful… All that ocean and Mount Wu nonsense—utter nonsense! I’ll go give him a piece of my mind!”

Yang Xue Ruo suddenly laughed, her flowing sleeves fluttering as she caught Hong Mian’s hand. “You silly girl, what’s there to confront him about? Has he done anything wrong? It was our Yang family that forced him to break the engagement, and now that he has complied, what can I say?”

“Hong Mian, tell me, what kind of person do you think he is? He’s clearly gifted, yet he always showed himself as a wastrel and a good-for-nothing. If he hadn’t been forced to this point, I doubt he would ever have revealed his true talent.” There was a touch of regret and wistfulness in Yang Xue Ruo’s voice. “We failed to see his true nature and treated him poorly in the past; it’s only natural he harbors resentment.”

Hong Mian pouted. “Miss, we didn’t wrong him! So young, but already consorting with courtesans, drinking, brawling—what mischief hasn’t he done? Even if he was pretending, it’s infuriating to think about!”

“The Yang family owes him nothing! If we hadn’t taken him in, he’d have been a beggar on the streets long ago!”

Yang Xue Ruo, hearing this, recalled all of Kong Sheng’s past misdeeds and sighed softly. “An eccentric with unconventional behavior—if he acted so willfully, he must have his reasons. Let’s not dwell on the past, Hong Mian.”

“Once you have seen the vast ocean, no other waters will suffice; apart from Mount Wu, no clouds are worth admiring. Kong Sheng wants me to believe he once had a beloved whose memory is unshakable, and he can never love again. But really, our families have been intertwined for generations, living in the same city, constantly in contact—where would he find such a sweetheart at his young age? I would have known! Preposterous!” Yang Xue Ruo chuckled. “There’s no truth in those words. Still, his calligraphy is graceful and refined, matching his literary talent perfectly!”

“Enough, Hong Mian. Be more watchful these next few days. I’m afraid those ruffians like Liu Nian will try to make trouble for him.”

Jiangning Prefect’s Office.

Liu Pingshan, Prefect of Jiangning, was a native-born official of humble origin who had risen through the ranks. By now, he was a true power in Jiangnan, and Yang Qi’s most trusted confidant. It was thanks to Yang Qi’s recommendation that Liu Pingshan held his current post.

Thus, even after his second son Liu Nian was beaten by Kong Sheng, bringing shame to the Liu family, Liu Pingshan swallowed his anger.

But circumstances had changed. Now that Kong Sheng had publicly refused the Yang family’s goodwill and incurred Yang Qi’s wrath, the Liu family—especially Liu Nian—felt their chance for revenge had arrived. What kind of “talented youth” was Kong Sheng without the Yang family’s protection? He was nothing! It was time to deal with him mercilessly!

Among all the privileged young scions in the city, Liu Nian was their undisputed leader, thanks to his father’s position. Men like Meng Chao and Ma An, who bore grudges against Kong Sheng, did so primarily because of Liu Nian. From early morning, Liu Nian had summoned Meng Chao, Ma An, and his other cronies to his home, where they locked the doors and plotted at length how best to strike at Kong Sheng.

Yet every suggestion was rejected by Liu Nian.

Some proposed ambushing Kong Sheng—having a few strong servants block his way and give him a sound beating, stopping just short of killing him. As long as no one died, who in Jiangning would dare defend Kong Sheng?

Others suggested framing him for theft to ruin his reputation, making it impossible for him to stay in Jiangning.

One even suggested hiring an assassin to kill Kong Sheng outright—removing this thorn in the side of the city’s privileged youth once and for all.

Liu Nian listened, his brows furrowed, impatience written plainly on his face.

Meng Chao tried to please him, saying, “Brother Liu, in the end, you must decide how we proceed! Rest assured, we’ll follow your lead. This time, we’ll teach Kong Sheng a lesson he’ll never forget!”

With a sneer, Liu Nian pointed at one of them. “Are you an idiot? You know how fierce that bastard Kong Sheng is—three or five men can’t handle him. If that worked, I’d have settled the score long ago. Why wait until now?”

He turned to Ma An and scoffed. “Ruin his reputation? What a joke—his name’s already mud. If he cared about that, he wouldn’t be Kong Sheng.”

Then, to another, “Murder? You’ve got some nerve! Right now, Kong Sheng is a celebrated talent in this city, with countless eyes watching. Hiring a killer—that’s just asking to be thrown in prison!”

Annoyed, Liu Nian stood and stamped his foot in frustration. He had wanted to gather his followers to quickly come up with a plan that would satisfy his thirst for vengeance without getting his father into trouble. Liu Pingshan had warned him the night before: they could act, and the more underhanded or shameless the better, as long as Kong Sheng’s life was not endangered. That was the bottom line.

But these idle wastrels had nothing to offer except tired old tricks, childish schemes that anyone could see through.