Chapter Thirty-Seven: Not Disappointing One's Youth

  The expected retaliation did not come, and in Qin Kan's nervous wait, Shaoxing Prefect Tong Zhen unexpectedly brought his son Da Ming to the Shayin County government office.

  He walked through the second hall as if no one was there, and Tong Yinglong even smiled at Qin Kan who was standing in front of the office door.

  Tong Zhen has come this time to change the wedding date.

  Tong Yinglong is not stupid, he won't do things that are contrary to his interests. As long as he can marry Du Yan first, this matter will be settled. For him, marrying the beautiful girl Du Yan is the top priority, as for Qin Kan...

  In his eyes, Qin Kan was nothing but a speck of dust that could be blown away at any time, but the wedding date had to be brought forward, otherwise these two would be together every day, who knows what kind of face-losing things they would do.

  Tong Zhen has only one precious son, and he is spoiled every day. As for the requirements his son puts forward, Tong Zhen agrees very readily.

  The reason for changing the wedding date is ridiculous. It's said that a fortune teller has calculated it, and the 18th of this month is auspicious for marriage, more auspicious than the original date three months later.

  Du Hong, although somewhat reluctant to see his daughter get married, still nodded in agreement.

  Firstly, the marriage had already been arranged and was bound to happen sooner or later. As the prefect, Tong Zhen was his superior, so it wasn't necessary to offend him over this matter. Secondly... Du Hong wasn't blind, he could see that his daughter had feelings for Qin Kan. Every day, she would go out and have fun with Qin Kan, and Du Hong was worried that they would do something shameful that would bring disgrace to the Du family's reputation. At that time, as the county magistrate, he really wouldn't be able to hold his head up in Shanyin. So it was better to nip this untimely romance in the bud.

  Du Hong appreciates Qin Kan and is grateful to him, but Qin Kan's identity is ultimately a barrier. Liking this young man does not mean that Du Hong will accept him as his son-in-law.

  Both sides chatted happily, although a bit hasty, but neither side opposed it. They agreed to form an alliance between the Tong and Du families ten days later.

  Unconsciously, nine days have passed.

  In these nine days, Qin Kan's life was no different from usual.

  Every day, he would attend to his duties at the yamen and return home in the evening to cook a few innovative dishes. Young Master Xu Pengju would eat with gusto, exclaiming how delicious they were, and then sit down with Tang Yin and Xu Pengju to drink a few cups of wine and chat about novel topics that they had never heard before, such as how we live on a sphere, we are not the center of the world, hundreds of years later there will be something that can carry people flying in the sky, flying fast and far, from Nanjing to Beijing in half an hour...

  Xu Pengju and Tang Yin thought Qin Kan was just talking nonsense when he was drunk, so the three of them drank until they were almost done and then each went their separate ways.

  After being with Xu Xupeng for nearly twenty days, Qin Kan discovered that the young master was actually a very straightforward and direct person. Except for having a bit of a spoiled temper, everything else about him was good. Even his attitude towards Qin Kan and Tang Yin had changed a lot over these days. He even liked to play some harmless jokes with Qin Kan, and when Qin Kan occasionally made a few biting remarks, he wouldn't get angry, but would instead laugh and chuckle.

  It's all right, everything is all right.

  Qin Kan had a lump of gloomy air stuck in his heart, it seemed to be stuck in his trachea, even breathing was uncomfortable.

  Xiao Ba Po is getting married, the girl who hops and jumps in the sunshine, the girl who flies a kite on the riverbank, the girl who personally breaks off the hemp thread to set the kite free...

  It's hard to imagine what she would be like as a married woman, it's hard to imagine a woman who loves to laugh and have fun, afterwards only being gentle and virtuous at home, not even able to leave the inner courtyard, from then on quietly taking care of her husband and teaching her children.

  A woman who loves freedom so much, would she... be willing to live such a life?

  …………

  …………

  Bang!

  The door was kicked open again roughly.

  Duan Yan stood at the door, panting heavily in her pale green cheongsam dress, staring blankly at him.

  Qin Kan was stunned for a moment and sighed: "Why does everyone like to visit me in this way? Can't they be more elegant?"

  Du Yan's eyes were red-rimmed, and she bit her lower lip as she said: "Qin Kan, I snuck out."

  Qin Kan's eyes widened: "You want to run away from marriage?"

  Du Yan smiled bleakly: "How dare I do such an unfilial thing? If I escape, how will Father cope in the future?"

  "Isn't tomorrow your wedding day? What are you doing running out?"

  Du Yan gazed at him, her beautiful eyes blinking not once, the emotions in her eyes were clear even to a fool. Gradually, her eyes welled up with tears, and finally, like broken pearls, they shattered into sparkling fragments.

  Qin Kan sighed dejectedly, his heart was in a mess, liking or sympathizing, cherishing or unable to bear, these complex emotions he still hadn't sorted out until now.

  "Qin Kan, I've risked sneaking out just to see you, and then tell you two things..."

  "Firstly, I don't want to get married, especially not with the son of Prefect Tong. Tong Yinglong is not a good person, everyone in Shaoxing City knows that."

  "Secondly, I've always believed in you. Even if you said the sun in the sky is square, I'd believe it. Qin Kan, you're a man who can get things done. As long as you're willing, you'll definitely be able to make this marriage not happen... are you willing?"

  Du Yan's scorching gaze seemed to melt him.

  Qin Kan hung his head and remained silent.

  Du Yan waited for a long time, but ultimately didn't get the answer she wanted.

  Closing her eyes, letting tears flow freely, Du Yan suddenly realized that she could no longer feel the heartache, because her heart had already died.

  "Qin Kan, in the years of your life, have you ever done something crazy that didn't leave you with regrets?" Du Yan looked at him with tears in her eyes, he was far away from her, like a misty fog across the vast ocean, distant and vague.

  "Never mind, I'm leaving."

  The faint scent faded away, her shadow disappeared, and only a lingering sigh remained in the house, echoing endlessly.

  Qin Kan remained still, time slowly passing by, and he seemed to have turned into a sculpture without thoughts or emotions.

  Du Yan's heartbreaking words when she left still echoed in his ears.

  "Qin Kan, in your lifetime, have you ever done something crazy that you won't regret?"

  Have you done it?

  He asked himself in his heart, he had always lived rationally, through two lifetimes as a human being, never having done anything crazy, perhaps... this was the first time.

  Qin Kan stared at the floor by the door, where a woman had shed two tears for him. The floor had long since absorbed them into a small patch of moisture, but in his heart, he still felt the salty, bitter taste of those two tears that had fallen on his heart.

  Qin Kan stared blankly at the puddle of water, laughing silently.

  I'm only 19, the age when I should be doing crazy things and not caring about the consequences. What's there to be afraid of in this world? If I don't go wild once, how can I make up for my second youth? Am I going to end up like my past life, with only a few regrets that last a lifetime?

  The sound of footsteps came from the door, and Xu Peng let out a heavy sigh: "I've been listening at the door for a long time, Qin Kan. I have to say, you really are heartless. Such a beautiful woman humbled herself to beg you, and you still didn't budge. Tsk tsk... You're as unfeeling as a Buddha."

  "Buddha has broken away from worldly thoughts, but I couldn't." Qin Kan slowly shook his head.

  Xu Peng raised an eyebrow and looked at him sideways: "That girl is getting married tomorrow, what about you? What are you going to do?"

  Qin Kan remained silent for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "I plan to swap rooms with Xiao Gongzi, get drunk and have a good cry, and tomorrow continue being my master..."

  Xu Pengju was taken aback: "Is this the only thing you want to do now? But... why do you want to switch rooms with me?"

  Qin Kan's eyes flashed with a determined smile, but he still sighed and said: "In this room, the girl just left behind two tears..."

  "Right there, on the floor by the door... as soon as I saw those two teardrops, my heart ached so much that I couldn't breathe..."

  Looking at Xu Pengju with a gloomy expression, Qin Kan's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Young Master will definitely not help me, a commoner, get out of this situation, right? Although the Duke of Wei is favored by heaven, he won't provoke the city governor for no reason and will surely bring a lot of trouble to the Duke's mansion, right?"

  Xu Peng nodded: "Although I think you're quite likable, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with this matter."

  "So, Master Xiao, would you be willing to switch rooms with me for one night? At least that way I won't feel so melancholic. Can you help me out with this?"

  "That's no problem."

  Xu Pengjie readily agreed, originally because he couldn't help Qin Kan, he had a slight sense of guilt in his heart, and for Qin Kan's small request, he naturally couldn't refuse.

  Qin Kan lived on the second floor of the inn, while Xu Pengju and his guards monopolized the third floor. With a single call from Young Master, the guards moved all of Young Master's private belongings out of his room.

  Qin Kan's expression remained sorrowful, and no one had ever noticed a flash of coldness in his eyes.

  Xiao Ba Po, Tong Ying Long, I'm really sorry, your wedding is off!

  Since he had made up his mind, he would defeat the enemy with one move. The principle of not killing a snake and being bitten back was something Qin Kan understood better than anyone else.

  The tenth day.

  March 18th, suitable for marriage and travel, avoid worshiping ancestors, inauspicious for the north, success in stability.

  A joyful atmosphere prevails in Shaoxing city.

  Today, Tong Yinglong, the son of Shaoxing Prefecture, is getting married, and Du Hong, the county magistrate of Shanyin, is marrying off his daughter. Early in the morning, the servants of the Tong family distributed porridge to beggars on the streets, handed out pastries, flowers, and peanuts to passersby, and the front gate of the Tong family was decorated with lanterns and streamers, filled with joy and excitement, as guests from all directions came and went without end.

  The betrothal gifts and asking for the name had been done in the previous few days, today was the formal welcoming ceremony.

  In the late afternoon, Tong's wedding sedan chair went out of the gate, a team of welcoming people blowing suona, beating happy drums, and going out of the gate in a grand manner. Tong Yinglong wore a red wedding robe, with a pair of palace flowers inserted on his hat, riding a tall horse, with a joyful face.

  Du Yan, who was covered with a red veil, was carefully supported by the wedding escort and taken out, carrying a sedan chair on her back.

  The wedding procession then went to Tongfu in a grand manner.

  Tong Yinglong was delighted, this day passed quietly, the original worry in his heart gradually disappeared, as long as the flower sedan arrived at the Tong Mansion gate, Du Yan stepped into the Tong Mansion gate, everything settled, this stunning beauty would be surnamed Tong from now on.

  As for Qin Kan that poor scholar... tomorrow have someone cripple one of his legs and send him back to the Qin village, or... simply put a sack over him and drown him in the river?

  Tong Yinglong's mouth curved even wider, he felt like a god, controlling the life and death of all living things.

  The team walked at a moderate pace, and now they had arrived inside the west city gate, at the intersection of Mashi Street, where Qin Kan had just entered the city and had his money bag stolen, where Qin Kan met Du Yan.

  Many people came to watch the excitement, and the marriage between the prefectural governor and the county magistrate was naturally a big event in Shaoxing City.

  Suona forgets its sorrow as it blows, cymbals and drums strike with all their might, joyful firecrackers crackle back and forth.

  In the crowd of onlookers, someone suddenly shouted loudly from a distance towards the bridal sedan.

  "Duan Yan, for the rest of your life, don't do something that you will regret. What are you waiting for?"

  Listening to such a familiar yet hateful voice, Tong Yinglong's smile immediately froze on his horse.

  Under the stunned gaze of the surrounding crowd, the flower sedan chair paused for a moment, and then it was as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and in the blink of an eye it split into four or five pieces, with wooden chips and boards flying everywhere. The eight sedan bearers were so frightened that they screamed and scurried away with their heads covered.

  Du Yan wore a red jacket and skirt, her headgear was thrown away, she stood proudly in the street with a phoenix crown and a flowing ribbon, her left hand clenched into a fist, her right hand transformed into a palm, she shouted loudly, her tall figure had already risen into the air, in mid-air, she performed a divine dragon's tail move, that dazzling wooden signboard with "Welcoming the Bride" written on it was kicked to pieces by her.

  Something unexpected happened, Tong Yinglong was riding on horseback and was completely stunned.

  The wedding procession was in great disorder, mixed with the onlookers, it was impossible to distinguish who was who in the crowd, they were all shouting and pushing each other.

  There was only one young man, wearing an ordinary blue long shirt, standing still in the crowd, quietly gazing at that fiery red figure.

  Du Yan stood in front of Qin Kan, wearing a phoenix coronet and a cloud-patterned cloak, her joyful tears falling uncontrollably as a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

  "You've finally arrived, I've been waiting for this moment, and I've been waiting for you to say these words."

  Qin Kan also smiled: "You owe me two hundred taels of silver and haven't paid back, if we get married, who will I go to for the debt?"

  In the chaos, Tong Yinglong suddenly came to his senses and looked at the two people standing opposite each other not far away. Tong Yinglong's face turned iron blue, and he pointed at Du Yan on horseback, shouting: "Du Yan, you must understand the consequences of today's actions!"

  Du Yan's face changed, becoming somewhat pale.

  Qin Kan smiled, his eyes unwavering: "Trust me."

  Du Yan looked at his gaze, Qin Kan's eyes were filled with safety and tranquility, as if they had abandoned the world.

  After a long time, Du Yan smiled at him: "I believe you."

  "Let's go, we're going back to the inn." Qin Kan turned his head and gave Tong Yinglong a mocking glance before pulling Du Yan's hand and running far away with a big laugh.

  When drunk, sing loudly; when sober, laugh. Don't waste your youth in its prime years.

  The streets were already in chaos, Qin Kan and Du Yan rushed back to the third floor of the inn.

  They closed the door with a bang, and the two of them leaned over, panting heavily, looking at each other, smiling slyly, their laughter growing louder and more joyful.

  Tong Yinglong's revenge was amazingly fast.

  It was half past nine when the sound of his angry roar came from downstairs in the guest house: "Have those two worthless people, a man and a woman, come back yet?"

  The innkeeper trembled with fear: "He's back, upstairs..."

  "Come on, follow me and take down that kid, I'll take full responsibility!"

  Du Yan listened to Tong Yinglong's angry roar, her face pale, and her fists clenched tightly.

  "Qin Kan, today I'll risk everything to ensure your safety."

  Qin Kan smiled and said: "You don't have to risk your life, others will risk their lives for me."

  While they were talking, Tong Yinglong had already led his men to rush into the room on the second floor.

  Tong Yinglong came to find Qin Kan, he knew Qin Kan lived on the second floor.

  Unfortunately, he did not know that Qin Kan and Xu Peng had swapped rooms last night. At this moment, the room on the second floor was occupied by Xiao Gong Ye.

  As a group of people climbed up the stairs, Xu Pengju's personal bodyguards already had their swords drawn.

  "Who dares to trespass..."

  "Give it to me!" Tong Yinglong roared, having lost his mind.

  Then came a chaotic sound of knives, guns and clubs hitting each other. In the chaos, Xu Pengju's angry curses were heard.

  "My god, it's all turned upside down! How dare you hit me, ah----"

  "Little Master!"

  "Master Xiaogong, are you alright?"

  …………

  …………

  Qin Kan and Du Yan on the third floor quietly listened to the movements downstairs, after a long time, Qin Kan sighed: "Tong Zhifu is done for."

  As night falls, the sky cools like water.

  The study of the Duke of Wei's mansion in Nanjing.

  The sixth generation of Wei Guo Gong Xu Xi, courtesy name Gong Fu, has been garrisoned in Nanjing for 39 years by the imperial order. Although he is old, his spirit is still vigorous.

  Outside the study came the sound of hurried footsteps. The old steward of the Guo Gong Fu hastily and anxiously said, "Master, something's wrong."

  "What's wrong?"

  "The guard beside Young Master Sun just received a message by carrier pigeon, Young Master Sun was beaten in Shaoxing."

  Xu Xian suddenly raised his head and exclaimed in shock: "Beaten? Who was beaten?"

  "The son of Shaoxing Prefecture's governor Tong Zhen, Tong Yinglong."

  "Is Peng Ju injured?"

  "A punch in the face, a blow on the leg... Those people were holding weapons, with an attitude of taking lives, fortunately the guards fought back to the death..."

  Bang!

  Xu Xi suddenly flew into a rage, stood up straight, and his eyes turned icy cold.

  The old man is indeed old, but his temper is not good, and what's even more unbearable is that he spoils his son.

  Xu Pengju is his grandson. From the name "Pengju", it can be seen that Xu has a deep expectation and doting on his grandson.

  Xu Xi suddenly burst into loud laughter, but his eyes didn't show a hint of amusement.

  "How dare this insignificant official ride roughshod over me, the Duke of Wei? Is Tong Zhen trying to bully my family because he thinks we have no one to stand up for us?"

  "Come on! Deploy the Shaoxing Garrison troops, let me have Tong Zhen's house smashed and his son abolished!"

  The Duke of Wei State, the maternal family of Empress Xu during the Yongle Emperor's reign, was favored by successive Ming emperors. When the Chengzu Emperor moved the capital to Beijing, he ordered the Xu family to guard Nanjing for generations and also... granted the Duke of Wei State control over military power.

  From ancient times to the present, those who hold military power have never been easy to provoke.