Chapter 295 — Chen Jia
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 1 of 2
What on earth was this man named Chen Jia after?
.
Could it be a provocation, a trick to make him slip up?
But he quickly rejected the suspicion.
If he were provoked into investigating his eldest uncle's case, the Yingzhen Ducal Estate would not escape involvement either. Even a fool would not be that foolish.
Could it be the Prince of Liao?
Hinting that this matter had been the Emperor's will.
At this thought, Song Yan shook his head inwardly.
The Dingzhen Ducal Estate had ultimately been stripped of its title. Even if the Emperor had not ordered it, he had at the very least consented to it. Even if he knew this was the Emperor's will, what good would it do?
Something stirred in Song Yan's heart.
Or perhaps the Prince of Liao meant to tell him that so long as the Emperor sat on the throne, the day would never come when his eldest uncle's grievance was redressed... No, no, no, that could not be either... Even with ambition, the Prince of Liao could not violate the great orthodox way... But it was also possible he could no longer wait... Even so, apart from the weight carried by his identity as Heir of the Yingzhen Ducal Estate, posts such as Commander of the Front Guard of the Jinwu Guard and hereditary Assistant Commissioner of the Fourth Rank carried little real value. There was no need for the Prince of Liao to expend such effort on him...
Then who was it that had set Chen Jia on him?
And to what end?
Ever since his father had framed him, Song Yan felt he had grown exceedingly suspicious.
He saw that Zhu Yicheng and the others had already quietly closed in. Smiling, he draped an arm over Dou Zhiwei's shoulder, then suddenly roared at Zhu Yicheng and the rest, "Seize him!" His expression turned cold as frost, and half embracing, half supporting Dou Yan, he retreated several steps.
At once men stepped forward to shield Song Yan and Dou Zhiwei, and in concert with Zhu Yicheng and the others, they encircled Chen Jia in the center.
Chen Jia, however, was entirely calm and composed, as though Song Yan's reaction had been exactly what he expected. With a "shwing" he drew the soft sword at his waist and said, "Heir, let me speak plainly with you. If not for the bloodbath you stirred up in the capital, and for having witnessed your methods, I would not have dared come to you... To redress the grievance of the Duke of Zhen is not something just anyone can accomplish. If you do not trust me, you may go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and inquire into my background. I am not a nobody within the Guard. I have said my piece. How you choose, Heir, must rest on your own judgment!" With that, he stepped forward of his own accord and charged at Zhu Yicheng, the most skilled among them.
Zhu Yicheng's great saber was heavy and steady; Chen Jia's soft sword was light and nimble. The two were evenly matched, shrouded in flashing blades, and became one tangled knot of combat.
Song Yan's other guards split of their own accord into two groups: one ringed Song Yan and Dou Yan tightly, the other surrounded Zhu Yicheng and Chen Jia, poised at any moment to reinforce Zhu Yicheng.
The flower grower, terrified, hid behind the great vat.
Chen Jia gave a long laugh.
Several men in Embroidered Uniform Guard garb leaped down from the roof and, drawing their Xiuchun sabers, hacked at Song Yan's guards.
Song Yan's guards were taken entirely by surprise.
In that moment of confusion, someone seized the chance to break through the encirclement and launch a sneak attack on Zhu Yicheng.
Zhu Yicheng twisted aside and evaded it.
Chen Jia sprang out of the fight, cupped his hands to Song Yan, and under the cover of several Guard men, retreated fighting all the way to the fence, slipped through it into the woods beyond, and vanished from sight.
Only then did Zhu Yicheng and the others discover that the fence had long since been cut through from within, its gap merely masked with branches.
"After them!" Zhu Yicheng's face was livid; he took the lead in pursuit. But a great shout from Song Yan—"Come back!"—stopped him in his tracks.
"No need to chase," Song Yan said calmly. "They were prepared long in advance. Pursuing further would be wasted effort. Have Du Wei look into their backgrounds."
Zhu Yicheng answered "Yes" in indignation and, taking two guards with him, hurried off to the general store where Du Wei was.
Song Yan signaled Chen He to help up the trembling flower grower, then smiled and cupped his hands to him: "A misunderstanding. I am sorry you were frightened."
The flower grower did not dare ask more, and covered the truth with fearful pleasantries: "Just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
"I'm afraid we won't be able to visit the flower market today," Song Yan said apologetically to Dou Yan. "Another day I'll come with you again."
Dou Yan, who had been clutching Song Yan's lapel all this while, tense with fear, gave a little "Oh," then smiled. "Then we'll come another day!" Her expression was cheerful, as though what they had just encountered was not a band of murderous Embroidered Uniform Guards but an inconsequential downpour.
Song Yan felt all the more guilty.
Trouble always followed Dou Yan when she was with him. Even a simple trip to the flower market could drag out such a mess!
In that moment, he wished with all his heart to untangle every knot around them. At least some of them had to be dealt with before their child was born—to give the child a safe and tranquil place to grow, so that they could all grow up in peace.
Song Yan could not help stealing a glance at Dou Zhiwei's belly.
They had been inseparable these past days. Perhaps Dou Yan was already carrying his child.
To pacify the realm, one must first repel the foe without!
Then let it begin with Chen Jia!
He helped Dou Yan into the carriage.
Dou Yan propped her chin on her hand, thinking of Chen Jia.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard attire, the agile skill, the light, quick steps... She truly had seen this person somewhere before...
Dou Chi let out a cry of "Aiya!"
Song Yan, still preoccupied with thoughts of Chen Jia, said with a start, "What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing." Dou Yan covered her inner panic. "I just bumped myself a moment ago."
Song Yan smiled, drew Dou Zhiwei's shoulders close, and gently kissed her temple, then sank back into thought.
Dou Yan did not disturb him, instead nestling quietly in Song Yan's embrace, though within her heart a storm raged.
She had seen Chen Jia before—but that Chen Jia had not been like this.
He had worn the crimson brocade uniform of a third-rank Imperial Guard, and in the heavy rain had passed in awe-struck humility through ranks of armored guards, kneeling on one knee before Song Yan, eyes downcast, reporting something to him in the most deferential manner...
Chen Jia—he was the Imperial Guard who had been reporting to Song Yan in her last life, when she first met Song Yan.
Like a circle she could not break free of, in this life they had met again.
And in this way.
Could it be that in her last life, Chen Jia had likewise moved Song Yan by such means, won Song Yan's trust, and become one of his confidants?
Then what exactly was the connection between the Duke of Dingguo's wrongful case and the Emperor?
She thought of the arrow Song Yan had loosed at the Crown Prince... An arrow that not only made him a notorious executioner, but also snuffed out the Emperor's hope and life, letting the Prince of Liao ascend the throne without hindrance.
Dou Zhiwei's hands clenched tightly together.
In this life, would Chen Jia once again move Song Yan? What cards did he truly hold in his hand? And were those cards real or false?
Fine beads of sweat seeped out on Dou Yan's forehead.
"What is it?" Song Yan's gentle voice came at her ear. "Did you bump yourself somewhere just now?" His voice carried deep concern.
Dou Zhiwei gripped Song Yan's hand.