{"id":3572,"date":"2026-05-24T01:48:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T01:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-34\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T01:48:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T01:48:36","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-34","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-34\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit Of Jade 34"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fan Changyu asked in confusion, \u201cWhy would the authorities lie?\u201d

Xie Zheng frowned slightly. Thinking about how she had lived in this small place her entire life and the highest-ranking official she had ever encountered was probably the county magistrate, he found himself unexpectedly more tolerant of her na\u00efve innocence.

Her parents had likely taught her many principles about how to conduct herself in life, but they had never told her about the deceit and scheming within officialdom.

Rarely patient, he explained to her carefully and even gave an example.

\u201cIt\u2019s like when your uncle tried to seize your family property and sought help from that advisor. Even within a tiny county office, the political undercurrents are complicated. Higher up, in the prefectures and the imperial court, the relationships only become more tangled\u2014factions, colleagues, marriage ties, teacher-student relationships\u2026 Behind every official is a vast network of power and influence. Some cases involve the interests of high-ranking officials. What looks like an ordinary grievance suffered by commoners may actually be part of a struggle between powerful men.\u201d

After thinking for a long while, Fan Changyu frowned and asked, \u201cYou mean\u2026 my parents\u2019 deaths may also involve the interests of powerful officials?\u201d

A trace of surprise flashed through Xie Zheng\u2019s eyes. She wasn\u2019t stupid after all.

Lowering his gaze, he said, \u201cI\u2019m only giving an example. Maybe the authorities only told half the truth, or maybe everything they said was false. None of that is important. What matters is this\u2014if the authorities gave you a false truth, what would you do?\u201d

That question truly exceeded Fan Changyu\u2019s understanding.

In the minds of ordinary people, officials were the heavens above the common folk. A single corrupt official was enough to make the people suffer endlessly. But after hearing Xie Zheng\u2019s words, she suddenly realized that not every official was an upright and righteous magistrate.

If the entire bureaucracy of Great Yin protected its own, then what hung above their heads was not the heavens, but a giant net wrapped tightly around them.

Fan Changyu was only lost for a moment before her eyes became firm again.

\u201cWhen Fan Da tried to seize my family property through Advisor He, I thought about finding an official higher-ranking than him to pull strings with. The biggest official in Qingping County is the magistrate, but the magistrate and Advisor He were in league together, so I couldn\u2019t rely on him. That\u2019s why I considered kidnapping my uncle.\u201d

\u201cThe bureaucracy of Great Yin may be huge, but that just means there are more officials at the top. If I knew powerful officials, then in my uncle\u2019s case, I probably would\u2019ve sought help from prefectural officials. If Fan Da also found the highest official in the prefecture, and I still had connections, then I\u2019d go to the capital to appeal my grievance. In the end, it would all be brought before the Emperor.\u201d

\u201cThe highest official in Qingping County is the magistrate. The highest official in Great Yin is the Emperor. When it comes to seeking justice, the two aren\u2019t really different. In the end, what determines right and wrong are still evidence and the law.\u201d

She looked at Xie Zheng with clear and fearless eyes.

\u201cNo matter what my parents\u2019 deaths are tied to, I\u2019ll keep investigating. That vast network of connections in Great Yin\u2019s bureaucracy isn\u2019t something worth fearing.\u201d

Her words genuinely surprised Xie Zheng.

He asked, \u201cAnd how will you investigate?\u201d

Fan Changyu glanced toward Changning, who was still outside in the courtyard playing in the snow.

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid of danger, but Changning is still too young. If the people who killed my parents notice us sisters again, I can\u2019t guarantee I\u2019ll be able to protect her. So before anything else, I\u2019ll send Changning somewhere safe.\u201d

Approval appeared on Xie Zheng\u2019s face.

\u201cAnd then?\u201d

Fan Changyu replied, \u201cIf I were a man, perhaps I would take the civil or military examinations and enter officialdom myself to uncover everything tied to my parents\u2019 deaths. But I\u2019m only a woman. I can\u2019t enter the bureaucracy, and I don\u2019t know any high-ranking officials. That leaves only one path\u2014money makes the devil turn the millstone.\u201d

Resting one hand against his temple, Xie Zheng said, \u201cNot a bad plan. But it sounds like it\u2019ll take many years. The amount of money needed to make those officials work for you won\u2019t be small.\u201d

Fan Changyu choked slightly before saying, \u201cThat\u2019s the only method I can think of right now. As for disguising myself as a man to take the examinations like in opera stories\u2014first, I don\u2019t have the brains for studying. Second, I don\u2019t have any brothers whose identity I could borrow.\u201d

She scratched her head and added, \u201cUnless\u2026 I sponsor a few poor scholars? Maybe if I get lucky and support one with a conscience, after he passes the exams and enters officialdom, I\u2019ll at least have someone in the bureaucracy. Investigating my parents\u2019 deaths would probably become much easier then.\u201d

This time it was Xie Zheng\u2019s turn to choke.

He lifted his eyelids and said sharply, \u201cAnd what if you run into another one like your former fianc\u00e9?\u201d

Fan Changyu had noticed he had been acting a little strange lately, constantly bringing up Song Yan at every opportunity.

She said, \u201cCan we not mention him during the New Year?\u201d

Xie Zheng shot her a sideways glance and pressed his lips together without speaking again, as though his bad temper had returned.

Fan Changyu muttered, \u201cAs if I\u2019m not unlucky enough already\u2026\u201d

Xie Zheng\u2019s hearing was sharp enough to catch even that mutter. The corners of his lips, which had been flat moments ago, suddenly lifted slightly.

He said, \u201cYou can wait before investigating your parents\u2019 case.\u201d

Fan Changyu looked puzzled. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d

Xie Zheng replied, \u201cIf your parents\u2019 deaths involve many things, then while some people in officialdom may want to bury the truth, others will want to uncover it completely. Right now, what you should do is protect yourself and your sister while waiting for the people who want the truth revealed to come looking for you themselves.\u201d

Fan Changyu said, \u201cBut I know nothing about my parents\u2019 past. Even if someone comes looking for me, they won\u2019t get anything useful from me.\u201d

Xie Zheng thought to himself that as long as He Jingyuan opened his mouth, the truth behind her parents\u2019 deaths would surface.

But if Wei Yan discovered he was still alive, even sacrificing all of Qingping County\u2014or even Jizhou\u2014he would still try to kill him again. Until the situation was settled, revealing his identity would only invite disaster.

He said, \u201cYou underestimate officialdom. Someone will come looking for you.\u201d

Fan Changyu was still confused. After thinking about it for a while, she decided Xie Zheng was probably just comforting her and didn\u2019t dwell on it further.

Instead, she said, \u201cI\u2019m starting to feel more and more that reading really does make people smarter. Yan Zheng, you\u2019ve read so many books\u2014you\u2019re really smart.\u201d

Xie Zheng had heard all kinds of flattery before. No one in the world was more skilled at crafting extravagant praise than scholars. Yet he had never cared about any of those compliments.

But this straightforward and simple remark of hers\u2014\u201csmart\u201d\u2014unexpectedly stirred something strange within him.

Still, he corrected her.

\u201cReading more doesn\u2019t necessarily make someone smart. Reading teaches reason and broadens your horizons. Once your understanding grows, your perspective stops being shallow, and that\u2019s enough to help you navigate life.\u201d

Fan Changyu nodded.

\u201cMy mother used to say the same thing. It\u2019s a pity I was too immature back then. Whenever she made me study, it felt like driving pigs out of the pen before New Year slaughter. Now that I want to learn, it\u2019s already too late.\u201d

This time, she truly believed studying was useful.

Leaving everything else aside, when Fan Da tried to seize her property before, Yan Zheng hadn\u2019t even needed to use underhanded tricks. He simply knew how to exploit the law and win the case.

If she herself were more knowledgeable, perhaps she could even sell pork in more creative ways.

She had once thought sweet cucumber salad was just sweet cucumber salad. But while helping prepare braised meat at Yixiang Tower, she learned that the restaurant called the same dish \u201cSnow-Covered Green Dragon.\u201d The elegant name doubled the price immediately.

Remembering that he had been teaching Changning characters earlier, she shamelessly asked, \u201cIf you have time, could you teach me some reading? It won\u2019t take much of your time. Just tell me what to study, and I\u2019ll read it myself. If there\u2019s something I don\u2019t understand, I can ask you.\u201d

Xie Zheng lifted his eyes faintly, rather surprised by her request.

Then he asked, \u201cWhat books have you read before?\u201d

Fan Changyu thought for a moment before replying, \u201cI know all of the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic.\u201d

The moment she finished speaking, Xie Zheng\u2019s face darkened.

Afraid he would find teaching her troublesome, Fan Changyu stiffened and added, \u201cI\u2019ve also read some of the Analects and the Great Learning.\u201d

Xie Zheng\u2019s voice turned eerie.

\u201cYou mean the Great Learning, not the Great School?\u201d

Fan Changyu was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole.

She admitted honestly, \u201cI only casually flipped through those two books before when I saw Song Yan reading them. I couldn\u2019t understand the books, and he treasured them like priceless heirlooms, so I returned them to him. I was too embarrassed to ask what the passages meant.\u201d

The moment she finished confessing honestly, Fan Changyu suddenly felt a chill around her.

Looking at Xie Zheng, she felt that handsome face of his looked particularly cold and unpleasant now.

Completely baffled, she watched him.

Xie Zheng spoke in a tone cold enough to drop ice shards.

\u201cSince you\u2019ve already \u2018studied\u2019 the Analects and the Great Learning, then next you can read Mencius.\u201d

Fan Changyu looked utterly bewildered.

Had her words sounded like she had actually studied those books?

She had clearly said she only skimmed through them and didn\u2019t even understand what they meant.

Not only that, during lunch, she sharp-eyedly noticed that Xie Zheng had switched the headband on his hair back to his original one.

Fan Changyu had no idea what she had done to offend him. While eating, she lightly coughed and asked, \u201cThis afternoon I\u2019m planning to take some cured meat to the county town to sell. I\u2019ll also bring a piece to Constable Wang as a New Year\u2019s greeting. Is there anything you want me to buy?\u201d

The man who had been following the rule of \u201cno talking while eating\u201d finally spoke.

\u201cWe\u2019re out of paper. The ink was also used up yesterday writing spring couplets. Buy some paper and ink. The paper should be five-foot clean xuan paper, and the ink should be pine-soot Huizhou ink.\u201d

Fan Changyu\u2019s head instantly started hurting.

\u201cWhat xuan? What ink was it again?\u201d

Xie Zheng frowned slightly.

\u201cForget it. I\u2019ll buy it myself.\u201d

Fan Changyu felt he was being somewhat cold and distant. Thinking that his injuries still hadn\u2019t fully healed, she asked a little more cautiously, \u201cI\u2019ll hire an ox cart this afternoon. Want to come along?\u201d

The moment Changning heard that, her chubby little hands immediately slapped the table.

\u201cChangning wants to go to the market too!\u201d

One big and one small pair of eyes stared directly at Xie Zheng.

After a moment of silence, he finally said, \u201cThen we\u2019ll all go together.\u201d

Changning was so excited about going to the market that she practically burst with energy. Running a single lap around the courtyard wasn\u2019t enough. After leaving the yard, she even chased Aunt Zhao\u2019s dog all the way to the alley entrance before finally stopping.

Fan Changyu\u2019s decision to sell cured meat in the county town today wasn\u2019t a sudden whim. In previous years, her father would also take a cartload of cured meat to the county town around this time.

Families visiting relatives and friends who hadn\u2019t prepared New Year gifts in advance, especially with the meat market closed these days, would often buy from roadside vendors instead.

Once they arrived at the county town, Fan Changyu expertly parked the ox cart on the main street in front of the county academy.

There were many students coming and going here, and many families had rented nearby houses just to accommodate their sons who were studying.

When students went to pay New Year respects to their teachers, ordinary tea and wine seemed too plain, while expensive gifts cost too much silver. A strip of cured meat made the perfect holiday gift.

As soon as Fan Changyu set up her stall, she made several sales.

Xie Zheng had intended to head toward the bookstore district, but Changning kept standing on tiptoe and looking around eagerly. She stared at Fan Changyu with longing eyes and asked, \u201cSister, can I go watch the flower drum performance with Brother-in-law?\u201d

Fan Changyu replied, \u201cYour brother-in-law isn\u2019t going to watch flower drums.\u201d

Changning immediately looked at Xie Zheng pitifully.

Xie Zheng glanced at the cured meat stall, where only a small portion had been sold so far, and said, \u201cWait until your sister finishes selling everything. Then we\u2019ll go together.\u201d

Estimating it would still take a while to finish selling all the cured meat, Fan Changyu said, \u201cIt\u2019ll still be a while before I can pack up here. If you\u2019re not in a hurry to buy the paper and ink, help me take Changning around for a bit. She\u2019s just curious. Once she\u2019s walked around enough, she\u2019ll stop making a fuss.\u201d

Xie Zheng nodded.

Getting permission from Fan Changyu, Changning immediately grabbed Xie Zheng\u2019s sleeve and excitedly marched ahead with enough energy to rival a little calf.

Feeling the tugging force on his sleeve, Xie Zheng thought that if this child hadn\u2019t been born weak from the womb, she probably would\u2019ve grown up just as fierce as her sister.

Perhaps because the county was preparing for a lantern festival this year, most of the academy students hadn\u2019t returned home. The streets were lively, and the twenty or so strips of cured meat Fan Changyu brought sold out more than half an hour earlier than she expected.

When she packed up her stall, Xie Zheng also returned with Changning, who had clearly had her fill of wandering around.

Changning held a candied hawthorn stick in her left hand and a colorful pinwheel in her right, her face sticky with syrup from eating.

Fan Changyu looked at her helplessly and said to Xie Zheng, \u201cYou really spoil her.\u201d

Changning grinned so hard her eyes disappeared.

\u201cBrother-in-law bought one for Sister too!\u201d

Fan Changyu said, \u201cI\u2019m not a child. Why would I eat candied hawthorn\u2026\u201d

Before she could finish speaking, a candied hawthorn stick was already held out before her.

Xie Zheng\u2019s expression remained calm.

\u201cYour sister insisted on buying one for you too.\u201d

Fan Changyu originally wanted to refuse, but when she noticed there was still another stick in his hand, she remembered he seemed to like sweet things. Since he wasn\u2019t taking medicine now, he was probably too embarrassed to openly admit he wanted to eat sweets himself, so he dragged her into it as well.

Thinking that, she couldn\u2019t refuse anymore. She accepted it and said, \u201cThank you.\u201d

Fan Changyu ate exactly the same way Changning did\u2014one candied hawthorn at a time, eyes squinting happily, cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

After finishing one, she noticed Xie Zheng still hadn\u2019t touched his.

Curious, she asked, \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you eating?\u201d

Xie Zheng shifted his gaze away from the bits of sugar coating stuck near the corner of her lips. After glancing hesitantly at the candied hawthorn in his hand, he bit into half of one.

The sugar coating outside was sweet, while the hawthorn inside was slightly sour. Once chewed together, the flavor was both tart and sweet, unexpectedly enjoyable.

Changning, who had just bitten into another hawthorn herself, watched the scene with such delight that her grin stretched from ear to ear.

She really was smart. By making Brother-in-law buy one for each of them, Sister couldn\u2019t scold her anymore.

At this street corner, there weren\u2019t only vendors selling goods. Some poorer academy students had also set up stalls drawing portraits for people.

The \u201cfamily of three\u201d across the street was simply too eye-catching.

The man was exceptionally handsome, the woman smiled beautifully, and even the child with them was adorably fair and delicate.

The scholar glanced over at them repeatedly before quickly sketching on paper.

After finishing her candied hawthorn and packing everything up, Fan Changyu was just about to take Xie Zheng to buy paper and ink when his expression suddenly sharpened and he strode toward the opposite street corner.

Fan Changyu looked over and saw only a scholar with a calligraphy and painting stall there.

Afraid some trouble was about to happen, she hurriedly brought Changning after him.

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d

The scholar had just finished the final stroke when a large hand suddenly reached out and snatched the painting away.

The man who had been eating candied hawthorn across the street moments ago somehow appeared before him in an instant. Grabbing the scholar by the collar, his jade-like face looked terrifyingly cold.

\u201cWho told you to paint this?\u201d

The scholar was so pressured by his overwhelming presence that he could barely speak.

\u201cS-Sir\u2026 I merely saw how harmonious and beautiful your family of three looked together and couldn\u2019t resist painting it. If I\u2019ve offended you, I beg your forgiveness.\u201d

At that moment, Fan Changyu arrived with Changning. Seeing that he looked ready to beat someone in the middle of the street, she hurriedly pried his hand off the scholar\u2019s collar.

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d

Xie Zheng said nothing and lowered his eyes to the painting in his hands.

The scholar\u2019s brushwork was only average, but the portrait captured the people vividly.

In the painting, Fan Changyu was squinting happily while eating candied hawthorn. His own gaze happened to be fixed on her face, as though he had been watching her every movement the entire time. Changning stood ahead of them biting into a candied hawthorn while looking back at the two of them, grinning so widely her teeth all showed, her expression full of lively mischief.

When Fan Changyu saw the painting, she let out a surprised \u201cOh?\u201d and asked the scholar, \u201cDid you paint us?\u201d

The scholar was honestly terrified of the murderous-looking man standing beside this cheerful young woman. He hurriedly nodded and poured out flattering words nonstop.

\u201cMadam and Young Master are a perfect match, truly a heaven-made pair. Even your little daughter is so adorable. If Madam likes it, then this painting shall be my New Year\u2019s gift to your family. I wish Madam and Young Master everlasting harmony and may you welcome another little son next year.\u201d

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