Chapter Text
[Episode 25]
Minister Gu Chunfang was worried about his protégé, Zhang Zhe, on several levels. He stared at Mrs Zhang’s memorial tablet, and hoped Jiang Xuening could persuade the man to see reason and eat and drink again.
He turned when Vice Minister Chen Ying called a greeting and was surprised to see that Junior State Preceptor Xie Wei had arrived to offer condolences to Zhang Zhe. He had not thought that the two were friends; if anything, quite the opposite.
Before Minister Gu could greet Xie Wei properly, Jiang Xuening emerged from the room in which Mr Zhang had locked himself. Xie Wei turned away from Mr Chen as he became aware of her, and called out, “Ning’er!”
She didn’t respond.
Mr Xie followed Miss Jiang out of the courtyard, curtly ordering his bodyguard not to follow. The bodyguard sighed, crossed his arms and stood against the wall, next to the doorway.
Mr Gu had already ascertained that Xie Wei was a friend of Lord Jiang’s and that he had escorted Jiang Xuening to the capital four years ago. He’d never met Jiang Xuening until today; she was just as stunningly beautiful as Zhang Zhe had promised.
The State Preceptor’s use of a pet name for Jiang Xuening seemed distinctly out of character, almost involuntary. Mr Gu wished he could get closer, to overhear what Xie Wei was saying to her. Frankly, he had been suspicious from the very start, when Zhang Zhe had waxed rhapsodic about the attractions of the State Preceptor’s student, and the way in which they’d just “happened” to keep meeting each other. Mr Zhang had credited the fates, but his master doubted it. When Jiang Xuening had “accidentally” accompanied Mr Zhang to Tongzhou, Mr Gu’s suspicion ratcheted up another notch. Was the girl a spy for Xie Wei?
Unfortunately, the bodyguard’s posture made it clear that he was not letting anyone through the doorway. Mr Gu checked on Mr Zhang instead, and found him kneeling on the floor, sobbing. Someone had smashed a white vase on the floor. Mr Zhang was holding a piece of porcelain tightly, blood dripping from his hand onto the floor.
Mr Gu grabbed Mr Zhang’s arms. “Zhe! What happened? Who smashed this white jade vase?”
“It was an accident. But… Miss Jiang said she’s a bad person, and that Mother’s death is her fault. She doesn’t want to be with me—”
“Oh dear.” Mr Gu made a face. “Get up and let go of that piece of porcelain. I’m sure Miss Jiang didn’t mean it. How could your mother’s death possibly be her fault?”
Mr Zhang let himself be helped up and allowed Mr Gu to prise the porcelain out of his hand. “She said she knew my mother would die in the winter, if I was falsely accused of a crime—”
“That’s utter nonsense. No one could have realised that your mother’s death was a possibility,” said Mr Gu, shaking his head, and dabbing at Mr Zhang’s cut hand with a handkerchief. “I had no inkling that this tragedy might occur, and I saw your mother more recently than Miss Jiang. Silly girl!”
Mr Zhang gave Mr Gu a strange look, as tears ran down his face. “Miss Jiang knows a lot about me; things I’ve never told anyone. She hinted in Shangqing Temple that she’s lived another life. I didn’t believe her then, but I’m starting to wonder now—”
Mr Gu concentrated on tying up the handkerchief. Miss Jiang’s unexpected knowledge supported his theory that she was Xie Wei’s spy. “Well, well. I am not sure I believe in such things, but… that’s neither here nor there.”
Zhang Zhe wiped his eyes. “Miss Jiang says I’m the best man she’s ever known, but she’s talking about him.”
Mr Gu raised an eyebrow. “Junior State Preceptor Xie Wei?”
Zhang Zhe blinked. “No! The other Zhang Zhe. He’s the best man she’s ever known. I’ll always be lacking, next to him.”
“Oh.” Mr Gu knelt and picked up the pieces of porcelain. It had been a very nice vase, and he could not help feeling sad at such wanton destruction.
They sat at the table, and Mr Gu coaxed his protégé to drink some water.
Then, there was a knock at the door. As if he’d been summoned by the fact Mr Gu had said his name earlier, the State Preceptor entered and bowed to both of them. “I am sorry to hear of your loss, Zhang Zhe.”
Mr Zhang stood and stared at Mr Xie then pointed, his hand shaking, blood coming through the handkerchief. “You—! Did you tell her to say those things to me?”
Mr Xie looked down his nose and glowered at Mr Zhang. “Some people have accused me treating people like pawns, but I have limits. This has nothing to do with me. It’s her decision. She didn’t discuss it with me.”
“You agreed with me, when I said that you wanted to control her!” Mr Zhang cried out.
“Ning’er is her own person. When you have recovered your wits, know that I choose to forget your stupid accusation.” Mr Xie went to leave, then turned in the doorway, and said in a rough voice, “It is a terrible thing, to lose your mother. Whether you believe me or not, I am genuinely sorry. Farewell.”
Mr Gu had never heard Mr Xie mention his mother before, although his public service records disclosed that he was an orphan from the Xie family of Jinling, the place to which Lord Pingnan had fled after his unsuccessful revolt. Mr Gu still thought it was highly likely that the man was associated with the rebels, even if Mr Zhang had seen no sign of it.
Meanwhile, Mr Zhang stood in the doorway, his arms hanging, and began to sob again.
“Can you explain to me what that was all about?” said Mr Gu, taking Mr Zhang’s arm, then closing the door on Mr Xie and the trailing bodyguard.
“Xie Wei is in love with Jiang Xuening,” said Mr Zhang.
Mr Gu rocked back on his feet; this was not what he had expected. “Are you sure they’re not just friends? He’s her teacher, and he’s always been so reserved and careful…”
“At Shangqing Temple, we had a terrible fight,” said Mr Zhang, dabbing at his tears with the bloody handkerchief around his hand. “Xie Wei was furious at me for endangering Miss Jiang’s life. Miss Jiang threw herself in front of me, otherwise he would have shot me with an arrow. Later, he shouted at me and said that I didn’t understand what it was to truly love Miss Jiang.”
Mr Gu made a face. “That sounds crazy, Zhe.”
“They’re both crazy,” said Mr Zhang, dully. “So pleasant and thoughtful one day, so horrible and heartless the next. They change like weathervanes, and you have no idea what’s real or not. They deserve each other.”
“Is Miss Jiang Mr Xie’s lover, then?” Mr Gu hadn’t thought of that as a possibility before, but the use of a pet name suggested a certain intimacy.
“No! I asked Miss Jiang what her relationship was with Xie Wei, and she said, in all innocence, ‘Teacher and student.’ She was being honest, in that regard at least. She always calls him ‘Sir’ or ‘Teacher’.”
“This is odd and improper, then,” said Mr Gu, grimacing. “I wonder if Lord Jiang knows of this?”
“I don’t think either Lord Jiang or Miss Jiang realise. However, Xie Wei said that when he was no longer Miss Jiang’s teacher—and he now is not—he’d be free to declare himself.”
Mr Gu frowned. “What happens if Miss Jiang doesn’t return Mr Xie’s affection? And I do very much wonder what Lord Jiang will think of this… but that’s not our problem. Zhe, can I ask what Miss Jiang said about your mother’s death again?”
“She said that it was her fault that my mother died. She said that if I had to blame anyone, I should blame her, and stop punishing myself—” mumbled Mr Zhang.
If one happened to have a very twisted view of the world, what looked like heartlessness might be the opposite; Miss Jiang might be trying to divert Mr Zhang’s grief and rage towards herself. Perhaps she really did love Mr Zhang and was trying to help him.
On the other hand, it might be best if Mr Zhang gave up on Miss Jiang, to avoid the wrath of Mr Xie. In Mr Gu’s estimation he was a dangerous man, and a possible rebel. At best, Miss Jiang seemed to be a very broken and confused person. At worst, she was cut from the same cloth as Xie Wei himself.