062 Shameless, aren't you~

West City, the Hong Residence.

The entrance was draped in white mourning cloth, displaying the utmost grief and solemnity.

Just a few days ago, this estate had been exceptionally bustling: imperial messengers bearing bestowed silver, colleagues from various ministries coming to offer condolences, and sighing former subordinates...

Once the funeral concluded, the carriages and horses at the Hong Residence's gates dwindled to a sparse few.

No matter what prominent figure you were in life, you could never escape a single iron law: when the wife passes away, guests wear out the threshold; when the master himself dies, not even a ghost comes to call.

The Hong family had truly experienced what it meant for people to leave and the tea to grow cold.

Anyone familiar with officialdom knows that people leaving and the tea going cold is nothing; sometimes, the tea grows cold even before people have left.

...

Today, however, an uncommon guest arrived.

Two horsemen escorted a carriage, leisurely making their way to the entrance.

The doorman hurried forward to greet them:

"Who might you be?"

Zhou Cang replied: "Lord Jiang Qingyun, the Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, invites Young Master Hong over for a chat. Here is the invitation!"

"Ah, very well, please wait a moment."

The porter scurried inside to announce them.

Shortly after, Hong Shiming emerged, followed by a young woman.

"Young Master Hong, and this is?"

"My younger sister, who wishes to attend the banquet together."

"Please, Young Master Hong and Miss Hong, get in the carriage."

The carriage proceeded at a moderate pace and soon arrived at South City Gendarmerie Alley.

Jiang Qingyun had bought up all the properties along the entire alley and annexed a vacant piece of official land to expand his own estate and build residences for his trusted confidants.

Security surpassed all else.

Arrogance was not madness or a whim; rather, it was an active offensive maneuver skirting the edge of the rules, based on a precise understanding of one's own strength and the grand political currents of the imperial court. The purpose of this offensive was to seize power.

...

Passing by the orphanage:

"Stop, stop the carriage."

When Hong Shiming stepped down, the rims of his eyes were red. It was not an act; nowadays, it was all too easy for him to summon feelings of sadness.

"Child, take this."

He shoved a ingot of silver into the hands of a snot-nosed toddler standing at the entrance.

Clutching the silver tightly, the toddler scampered back inside to fetch the matron in charge.

By the time the matron rushed over, the carriage was already far away, leaving her to sigh that there were still kind-hearted people left in this world.

Presently, she felt a mixture of joy and apprehension.

What brought her joy was the vastly improved living environment and guaranteed meals.

What caused her anxiety was the population explosion. People from far and wide were rushing over, abandoning children they could not afford to raise right at the doors of the orphanage, desperate for even a glimmer of survival.

When they had first moved here, the orphanage housed only a little over a hundred people; now, the number had reached more than three hundred, and it would soon exceed five hundred. Surpassing one thousand or two thousand was merely a matter of time.

Funds would eventually run out.

...

The matron cradled a newly abandoned, healthy infant girl and muttered to herself, "You heartless ghost, you went up to heaven and became an Arhat, having a grand old time."

...

The Jiang Residence.

"Your junior pays his respects to Madam."

The moment Hong Shiming laid eyes on Madam Wen, he dropped to his knees with a thud, two streams of hot tears rolling down his face, looking utterly pitiful.

"Get up quickly, good child. Sit, sit down and have some tea."

Madam Wen let out a sigh as well.

Ever since Hong Shiming had stepped through the door, Jiang Qingyun had been observing him closely.

Having lived two lives, his eye for people could be called profound. Yet, he could not detect a single trace of acting in Hong Shiming.

"Brother Shiming, accept my condolences. How is the household holding up these days?"

"Everyone at home is panic-stricken, trying our best to keep our doors shut and avoid going out."

"And why is that?"

"Because of the smallpox inoculation matter during his lifetime, my late father made countless enemies. Had it not been for the court conferring upon him the posthumous title of 'Loyal and Steadfast', my entire family would probably have long since—"

At this point, Hong Shiming abruptly left his chair and dropped heavily to his knees.

"Brother Qingyun, save me!"

Jiang Qingyun hastily stepped forward to help him up.

"Mother, please return to your quarters first. Brother Shiming and I have some open matters to discuss."

"Very well."

Madam Wen rose and left the flower hall.

Before leaving, she cast a meaningful glance at the woman in mourning attire standing respectfully with folded hands outside the hall, and asked, "And who might this be?"

"My younger sister, Hong Tao, fourteen years of age."

"Hong Tao pays her respects to Madam, and to Censor Jiang."

Madam Wen nodded with a smile and departed.

...

Only Jiang Qingyun and the two Hong siblings remained in the flower hall.

"Brother Shiming, are you aware of your late father's *Blood-Tear Petition to the Emperor*?"

"A few days ago, an uncle from the Ministry of War who came to offer condolences informed me, and only then did I find out. Ashamed to say, on the day my late father was besieged by the rebel army, I was not by his side. I only grieve that I could not perish with him for our country."

"Had you died at the hands of the rebel army that day, your late father would have died with eternal regret. You are the sole continuation of the Hong lineage; your father would have fought to his dying breath to ensure your survival."

The questions and answers seemed calm on the surface.

Yet, Jiang Qingyun was simultaneously taking in the expressions and reactions of both siblings.

On Hong Shiming's face were guilt, grief, inner conflict, and confusion. On Hong Tao's face were grief, confusion, and a trace of tragic resolve, as if ready for martyrdom.

...

"Your late father's final letter strongly recommended me to the imperial court, using words of excessive praise. I feel deeply unworthy," Jiang Qingyun said in a long, lingering tone. "Your late father was magnanimous enough to forgive all grievances; he harbored no resentment toward me whatsoever."

Both siblings understood implicitly that the so-called grievance referred to Jiang Qingyun's earlier refusal of a marital alliance.

"I never expected that even before his death, my father would still be mindful of recommending Brother Qingyun to the court. Perhaps talent is hard to come by, and he acted purely out of public duty."

Hong Shiming suddenly turned his head.

"Little Sister, come here."

Hong Tao stepped into the flower hall with unyielding dignity.

"Kneel."

The siblings knelt down once again.

A massive headache struck Jiang Qingyun, leaving him with no choice but to continue playing his role.

"Oh dear, Young Master Hong, get up. Why must you do this? Why ever for?"

"Brother Qingyun, my younger sister is willing to offer herself to attend to your pillow and mat, serving by your side."

"But I already have a wife and concubines."

...

"Lord Jiang, my sister asks for no official title; she only asks that you protect the Hong family's safety. That alone would be supreme grace. Our father can then close his eyes in peace beneath the nine springs."

"There's no need for that, really no need!" Jiang Qingyun retreated step by step, hastily refusing. "The Hong family is a prominent and illustrious clan in Nanan, Fujian. How could there be any reason for them to become my bondservants? If the sight of things in the capital brings back painful memories, you may also return to your ancestral home in Nanan. Why humble yourselves so in the capital?"

This reasoning was both sound and sensible.

The Hong clan was a powerful local family with land, men, and wealth, intermarried with several other prominent local families. Their intricate web of connections made them veritable local emperors.

Seeing the two of them fall silent, Jiang Qingyun made a motion to leave.

Of the thirty-six stratagems, leaving is the best.

This situation was unsolvable!

The siblings were dressed in mourning garments, their posture lowered to the dust, coupled with the fact that Hong Chengchou had recommended him in his final will. He could not afford to defy universal condemnation.

This was not a matter of being hard-hearted or not; it touched upon the fundamental moral sensibilities shared by everyone in this era.

...

Hong Shiming crawled forward on his knees a few paces and clutched Jiang Qingyun's boots.

"Brother Jiang, we cannot return to our ancestral home in Nanan either. Because our father was captured and surrendered to the Qing during the Battle of Songshan, the main clan has publicly severed ties with our branch. Once we leave the capital, we have nowhere else to go."

"I beg you, have pity on the two of us orphans."

"Little Sister, quickly, kowtow to the master."

In an instant, Jiang Qingyun felt as though his head weighed a thousand pounds. He was completely numb. They were sticking to him like taffy—he could neither beat them nor scold them.

Just as his brain was operating at high speed:

Two women suddenly entered the room: Lvzhu and Wanchun.

...

Lvzhu said with a radiant smile:

"Young master, the banquet is ready. You and Young Master Hong can talk while you eat."

"Good, very good. Brother Shiming, let us eat first. Ah, rest assured, nothing will happen to the Hong family; I am in charge of the Five Cities Gendarmerie."

Decisively taking action, Jiang Qingyun forcefully hoisted Hong Shiming to his feet.

The two men walked in front, while the three women followed behind.