Chapter 34: The Scattering of the House of Earl Anyuan

The carriage slowly rolled into the city, revealing a remarkably spacious long street. According to the memories in Li Dao’s mind, this thoroughfare was known as the Dragon Road. Spanning ten kilometers from the city gates to the imperial palace, it was a full 222 meters wide, a grand expanse that bisected the imperial capital into eastern and western halves. Every emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty had traversed this road during their coronation and ceremonial processions.

Although he already possessed the memories of these scenes, seeing this magnificent sight in person still filled Li Dao with awe. It inevitably reminded him of Chang’an, the capital of the prosperous Tang Dynasty from his previous life, which had also featured a historically renowned thoroughfare: the Vermilion Bird Avenue. Yet, that road had been only five kilometers long and 150 meters wide. The scale of the Great Qian capital was even more flourishing than the Chang’an of his memories.

Reflecting on the information about the Great Qian, Li Dao realized that this dynasty felt like a synthesis of several famous dynasties from his past life: the military ferocity of the Qin, the martial might of the Han, the prestige of the Tang, the prosperity of the Song, and the unyielding strength of the Ming. If a nation were a person, the Great Qian would be the absolute protagonist, blessed with a perfect character template.

The only pity was that if this were an ordinary ancient world, the Great Qian’s strength would have been more than enough to challenge all surrounding nations single-handedly and achieve an unprecedented unification of the world. Unfortunately, "the martial artist defies the law." This world was home to practitioners of martial arts. If it were a low-martial world, it might be manageable, but the power system here was far from low.

A Post-natal martial artist could break through a hundred armored soldiers alone without dying. An Innate martial artist could live to be 150 and survive against a thousand troops. A Grandmaster could extend their life by another century, becoming a force no human could rival, moving freely through the midst of ten thousand soldiers. As for the Grand Grandmasters, the strongest on the surface, their lifespans reached five hundred years; they could tread on thin air and cross great rivers and seas, their power reaching a realm that ordinary people could only gaze upon in wonder.

The Great Qian was powerful, and its successive monarchs were never incompetent—at the very least, they were capable of maintaining the status quo—but what did that matter? No matter how high one’s power, how long was a human lifespan? Once a corrupt ruler ascended the throne, how long could such a vast dynasty endure?

"What a pity."

With his keen eyesight, Li Dao could easily make out the magnificent palace in the distance along the Dragon Road. Judging by his historical experience from his past life, the Great Qian was currently at its absolute zenith. According to the principle that things must decline after reaching their peak, if the next generation failed to produce a brilliant monarch, the dynasty would begin its descent. From his memories, he knew the current Emperor had many sons, but very few showed the potential of a wise ruler; most were like his former self—frivolous and decadent, assuming they weren't simply putting on a facade.

As he pondered this, a vision of a breathtakingly beautiful woman appeared in his mind: Princess Mingyue. If she were to inherit the throne, she might be able to preserve the current state of the Great Qian or perhaps even advance it further. Alas, not every woman was a Wu Zetian. Especially in the Great Qian Dynasty, becoming a Wu Zetian was nearly impossible.

After admiring the view of the Dragon Road, Li Dao prepared to leave the Tie family’s caravan. He had reached the capital; it was time to go back and see his home. He swept a glance at the carriage where Tie Sanniang sat, and under the strange gazes of several guards, he jumped off the cargo wagon and turned to quickly vanish into the crowd on the street.

The moment Li Dao left, Tie Sanniang in the carriage seemed to sense something. "Did he leave?" she murmured to herself, a hint of disappointment washing over her. They had been acquaintances, after all; to leave without even a word was uncalled for. The thought of his attitude toward her made her heart itch with frustration. For a merchant, having a treasure right before one's eyes only to watch it grow legs and run away was agonizing. "Fine, let you run for now. Once I finish handling my affairs, I’ll show you what this young lady is capable of." Shaking off her complicated thoughts, she ordered the caravan to speed up. Beside her, Bi You’er sat giggling, still planning to have the "bad man" finish the rest of the story once they got home.

...

In ancient times, among the Four Symbols, the Azure Dragon of the East reigned supreme. Thus, in the imperial capital, the high-ranking officials and nobility mostly resided in the East City. The closer to the palace, the higher one’s status. Li Dao’s ancestors had been founding fathers of the Great Qian, once enfeoffed as First-Class Marquises—just a step away from being Dukes. Their status was quite noble, so their residence was in the East City, relatively close to the palace.

Previously, this prime location had been a boon, helping the Anyuan Marquis Mansion cultivate connections. But ever since the scandal involving Li Dao and the ruin of Princess Mingyue’s reputation, this location had brought a backlash. The Anyuan Marquis Mansion became a disgrace among the nobility, and passersby could not help but curse and spit at it. One loyal admirer of Princess Mingyue had even, in a fit of rage, unzipped his trousers and urinated right in front of the stone lions at the entrance.

Not only was this act not condemned, but it actually earned that person fame, even making him a guest of honor in several noble households. Once this happened, a trend swept through the capital. For a time, everyone took pride in insulting and abusing the Anyuan Marquis Mansion. Many scholars even wrote poems mocking the mansion to gain attention, and to everyone's surprise, some actually used this as a stepping stone to climb the social ladder. This further incited the scholars; in the literary circles of the capital, people wrote poems insulting the mansion almost every day.

Three months had passed, and although the intensity had faded somewhat, there were still faint echoes of mocking poetry every day.

Outside the Anyuan Marquis Mansion, the structure had lost all its former luster. The walls on both sides were covered in insults, and the corners were blackened with filth; no matter how often they were cleaned, it was to no avail. Even the two majestic stone lions at the gate had suffered, exuding a foul stench. The vermilion gates beneath the plaque of the Anyuan Marquis Mansion stood open.

"Hurry, hurry! There’s no time!"
"Grab everything quickly; we can't stay in this place any longer."
"Are we being a bit too excessive?"
"Excessive? This household is about to fall apart anyway. If we don't take it, someone else will."

Outside the gate, many servants were scurrying out, their arms bulging with unknown items. Suddenly, a young girl in a cyan dress ran out from the inside and blocked their path.

"Stop taking things! You aren't allowed to take them! These belong to the mansion, and they all belong to the Young Master!"

The girl looked at the crowd with stubborn eyes, her lids red and tears hanging at the corners, looking as though she would burst into sobs at any moment. Seeing her like this, the others felt a flicker of guilt, but it was mostly eclipsed by helplessness.

One of the men spoke up, "Miss Jiu’er, don't stop us. We have no choice."
"That's right. If we don't take them now, they’ll belong to someone else by tomorrow."
"I advise you to pack your things and leave, too. The Anyuan Marquis Mansion is already a thing of the past."

As one spoke, the others chimed in, one after another. Jiu’er shook her head, her voice thick with tears, stubbornly insisting, "But... but what you are doing is wrong."

"Sigh." A long, weary sigh interrupted them. An elderly man with hair as white as snow stepped out from the gate. When they saw the old man, the noisy crowd fell silent, their eyes filled with a flicker of worry.

"Grandpa Li, look at them!" Seeing the old man, Jiu’er seemed to find her backbone and hurried over to support him.

The old man’s clouded eyes rested on Jiu’er with a faint smile, but when he looked at the others, his gaze turned as calm and dead as stagnant water. Under that gaze, no one dared to breathe loudly, for the old man’s long-standing authority had left deep psychological scars on them all. After a moment, the old man finally relented, shaking his head. "Go. Just go. Go far away and never come back."

Hearing this, everyone, including Jiu’er, was startled, their faces filled with disbelief.

*Thump!*

One man suddenly fell to his knees and knocked his head heavily against the ground three times. "Thank you, Grandpa Butler! Thank you, Grandpa Butler!" After kowtowing, he scrambled to his feet and ran away. The others, seeing this, immediately regained their senses and knelt in unison to kowtow.

"Thank you, Old Butler!"
"Thank you, Grandpa Butler!"

Once they had finished, they all scrambled away, and in no time, the group had vanished from outside the Anyuan Marquis Mansion.

After a while, once everyone had left, Jiu’er finally regained her composure. "Grandpa Li, why did you do that?"

The old man’s clouded eyes looked toward the distance, and he let out a long sigh, a shade of sorrow crossing his face. "The house is almost gone; let them go. It can be considered a way to accrue virtue for the Young Master in the afterlife, so he might have a better time there."

Hearing this, tears streamed down Jiu’er’s face. "Is there really no other way? The Master is gone, the Mistress is gone, the Young Lady doesn't know when she'll return, and now the Young Master is gone too. This is the only home the Young Master has left. If this is gone, who will remember him?"

"There is no way. His Majesty has already stripped the mansion of its title. Now, this is just an empty plot of land, and the Prime Minister’s Office is using the excuse of 'title revoked, land reclaimed' to completely erase any trace of the Anyuan Marquis Mansion. We cannot stop them." The old man looked at Jiu’er and sighed. "Jiu’er, you should leave too. Tomorrow, this won't be a home anymore. You are young and beautiful; if you go out and find someone to marry, you can live a peaceful life."

"No!" Jiu’er shook her head without hesitation, her eyes misty. "I am the Young Master’s person in life, and I will be his in death. I’m not leaving."

The old man was stunned. "You... you gave yourself to the Young Master?"

Jiu’er’s face flushed a deep red, and she hurriedly shook her head. "No, I... I just thought of it that way."

The old man smiled faintly. "It seems our Jiu’er has been aiming to be a concubine from the start."

Jiu’er’s face turned even redder, looking quite embarrassed.

"Sigh." The old man sighed again. "Jiu’er, you are a good girl. If the Young Master were still alive, I would have done everything in my power to have him take you. But unfortunately..."

Jiu’er’s face paled, but her gaze suddenly turned resolute. "Even if the Young Master is dead, I can still marry him."

The old man was taken aback. "You..."

He instantly understood the little girl’s intentions. He sighed inwardly at the impermanence of the world, never expecting that in this grand Anyuan Marquis Mansion, it was this young girl who possessed the strongest will. The Young Master had truly picked up a gem when he brought her home.

The old man patted Jiu’er’s head. "Alright, go inside and sleep. Before tomorrow comes, this is still our home."

"Yes."

After entering the mansion, since only the old man and Jiu’er remained, she said, "Grandpa Li, it’s mealtime. Let me go prepare something to eat."

"Go ahead."

After Jiu’er left, the old man’s gaze swept across the courtyard, and he slowly walked toward one of the rooms. Half an hour passed. Jiu’er checked the few dishes she had prepared, then ran out, still wearing her apron.

"Grandpa Li, dinner is ready!"

As she reached the main hall, she looked around with confusion. They usually ate here; why was Grandpa Li nowhere to be seen? She began to search everywhere. As time passed, the more she searched, the more anxious she became, and a dark premonition began to settle in her heart.

A stick of incense later, when she passed the Li family ancestral hall, she subconsciously glanced inside.

"Grandpa Li!"

Jiu’er’s face brightened, and she let out a sigh of relief. The old man was kneeling on a prayer mat inside the hall. She immediately walked toward the hall. "Grandpa Li, what are you doing here..."

As she looked at him, she subconsciously reached out to touch him, but just as her hand was about to make contact, she stopped in mid-air. The smile on her face slowly faded.

"Grandpa Li?" Jiu’er called out softly, her voice sluggish. But the old man did not respond. She gingerly stepped in front of him, only to see that his eyes were tightly closed, and a letter lay on the floor before him.

"Grandpa Li!"

Jiu’er reached out a finger and placed it under the old man’s nose. The next second, she froze. His breath was gone!

Suddenly, her gaze fell on the envelope. She picked it up and saw the words "To be opened by Jiu’er" written on the front. She slowly opened the envelope and read the letter he had written before his death.

"Jiu’er, by the time you read this letter, I will have already followed the Young Master. Do not be sad, for I have long known my days were numbered. This is merely the end of my lifespan, a 'joyful passing' as the common folk call it."

Seeing this, Jiu’er felt a bit better, but the tears could not be held back. She continued reading, finding the old man’s autobiography. He had entered the Li family at the age of four and was given the name Li Cheng by the head of the house. Now, at ninety-four, he had spent ninety years in the Li household, serving four generations of masters.

The letter also explained why he had knelt in the ancestral hall. He felt guilty for failing to guide the Young Master onto the right path, so he knelt before the ancestors of the Li family to express his profound apology. He knew it was selfish to leave Jiu’er alone, but his time had run out, and there was nothing he could do.

At the end of the letter, he left one final wish. He hoped that after his death, he could be buried in the backyard of the Li mansion. That was where he had entered the Li family, and he wished to be buried there for eternity.