Chapter 39: The Siege of Prospect Garden

Let us turn back to Dai Wei, a personal guard of Prince Qian.

After receiving his orders, he first inquired about the size of the Ning and Rong mansions to gauge the scale of the task. He then mustered one hundred soldiers, fully equipped them, and relayed the Prince’s commands before leading them toward Ningrong Street.

Upon entering the street, the few bystanders present were so intimidated by the fierce, wolf-like appearance of the troops that they scrambled to the base of the walls, watching the soldiers with fearful reverence. Only after the men had passed did they dare to whisper among themselves:

"What are they here for?"
"Can't you guess? Just think about what street this is."
"Hiss!"
"Heh, I fear the two ducal mansions of Ning and Rong are in for a calamity."

A few bold souls followed the hundred-strong troop from a distance and, as expected, saw them head straight for the main gate of the Ning Mansion.

Watching with a mix of excitement and dread, they saw the two massive stone lions flanking the Ning Mansion’s gate. The three-sectioned, beast-headed doors were tightly shut. A dozen or so servants in fine, ornate clothing were seated before the gate; upon seeing the soldiers, they were startled. Some rushed forward, bowing and cupping their hands in a gesture of greeting, apparently trying to ask a question, though their words were lost.

"The Imperial-built Ning Mansion?"

Dai Wei, mounted on his horse, checked the characters on the plaque above the main gate. Confirming he was in the right place, he gestured to his subordinates and barked, "This is the place. Surround it!"

"Ah!"

The finely dressed servants were struck with terror. Before they could speak, a dozen soldiers rushed forward, pinned them down, and dragged them toward the side gate, tossing them inside the compound. Anyone who attempted to resist was either kicked or punched in the stomach; as soon as they doubled over in pain, the soldiers would grab them by the collars and drag them into the side gate to be thrown inside as well.

Terrified, the servants began to wail: "Quick, go tell Master Zhen! The Prince of Qian's men are here to confiscate the estate!"

The matrons at the second gate heard the commotion and, equally frightened, rushed inside to report the news to Jia Zhen and Lady You.

"From this moment on, no one is allowed to enter or leave the Ning Mansion!"

Dai Wei ordered ten men to guard the main gate and the two side gates of the Ning Mansion. He then dispatched two teams of forty men to patrol the perimeter, securing every small door and back entrance.

"Let’s move!"

Dai Wei led his remaining force toward the Rong Mansion. Passing a small alley between the two estates, he sent six men to check for any connecting doors and ordered them to be sealed off as well.

A short while later, he arrived at the Rong Mansion. As before, he drove the dozen or so servants sitting at the gate inside, and sent men to secure the back entrances.

Lai Da, the steward of the Rong Mansion, heard the news and hurried out. Seeing the fully armored soldiers standing at the side gate, he was struck with panic. He took a moment to steady his nerves, then approached with a sycophantic smile, holding out two ingots of silver.

"A little something for you gentlemen to enjoy some wine!"

As he reached out to hand over the silver, hoping the soldiers would accept it so he could inquire about the situation, the soldier brushed his hand aside. The silver fell to the ground, and Lai Da stumbled backward.

"Get back!" the soldier snapped. "Don't try to cozy up to me. By order of the Prince of Qian, no one from the Ning or Rong mansions is to leave. You are to stay inside and await the Prince’s judgment! If you dare bribe us or obstruct our military duties again, you will be executed without mercy!"

With that, the soldier drew his long blade, forcing the steward to retreat.

Lai Da was accustomed to the corrupt, grasping soldiers of the Shun Dynasty’s capital, but he had never seen such lethal, iron-willed troops. The sheer ferocity radiating from them was overwhelming, and he scrambled back, tumbling over himself in terror.

"Quick, report this to the Old Matriarch and the Mistress!" Lai Da shouted to the matron at the second gate. The woman hurried inside.

***

"What?!"

Upon hearing the sudden news, Lady Wang dropped her prayer beads. Her face turned deathly pale, and after a long silence, she demanded, "Where is the Master?!"

"The Master went out of the city to welcome the Prince of Qian and has not yet returned."

"Quick, call Lian'er! He has met the Prince before; perhaps he can intercede. Go, quickly!"

"Yes, Mistress!"

The maidservant rushed out, running all the way to the chambers of the Second Master Lian. She burst in, shouting, "Second Master, Second Mistress, a great disaster has befallen us!" Her sudden cry startled Wang Xifeng, who was soothing her daughter, Qiaojie, causing the child to burst into wailing tears.

"What are you shrieking about, you little wench?" Wang Xifeng scolded. Lacking the time to deal with the tactless maid, she rushed to comfort her daughter.

The maid stamped her feet in anxiety. "Second Mistress, our mansion gates have been surrounded by the Prince of Qian's troops!"

"...What?!"

Wang Xifeng looked away from her daughter, staring at the maid in utter shock. "What did you just say?"

At that moment, Ping'er returned from outside, her face equally frantic. "Mistress, it’s bad. The gates have been..." Seeing the maid from the Mistress's chambers, she realized the news had already arrived.

Wang Xifeng sat stunned for a moment before recovering. She hurriedly asked Ping'er, "Has your Second Master returned? He has met the Prince of Qian once; ask him if he can go and see the Prince again!"

"The Second Master left at dawn and hasn't returned. Mistress, we must go to the Old Matriarch. She must know by now and is surely frantic."

Wang Xifeng nodded. She quickly ordered a wet nurse to watch Qiaojie, changed her clothes, and hurried to the Old Matriarch's quarters.

Before she even entered, she heard the sobbing of the Old Matriarch from within: "My Jia family... generations of loyal subjects... how will I have the face to see your ancestors after I am dead?"

The others were trying to console her. Wang Xifeng entered and saw the entire room filled with teary-eyed people, their faces a mix of panic and unease.

Wang Xifeng forced a calm demeanor and smiled. "Old Matriarch, things are not so dire yet. Lian'er met the Prince of Qian just a few days ago. The Prince asked about our family and learned about that Leng Zixing... why would he confiscate our estate?"

"But the soldiers at the gate..." Lady Wang, Lady Xing, and Lady You, who had come over from the Ning Mansion, all looked at her.

Wang Xifeng sighed. "The old must go for the new to arrive. Among the princes, dukes, and officials of this dynasty, who can escape this?"

Her words left Lady Wang, Lady You, and the others in a heavy silence. In the face of a cataclysmic shift like the change of a dynasty, there was nothing they could do but submit to fate.

Lady Xing spoke up. "Lian'er said before that the Prince of Qian learned from that Leng Zixing that our family has several beautiful young ladies..."

Everyone turned to her, understanding the implication.

Lady Wang looked toward the Old Matriarch. Previously, she would have considered this akin to selling one's daughter for glory and feared the social stigma, but with the Prince’s soldiers surrounding their home, such concerns were secondary. She had already sent one daughter into the palace; if sending another could save the Jia family, she would do it a thousand times over.

The Old Matriarch said with deep sorrow, "We shall discuss it further when the Master returns. You go and speak with the girls, see who is willing to enter the palace."

Lady You volunteered, "The Fourth Girl is a bit young, but she could enter the palace as a lady-in-waiting. With the Imperial Concubine already there, they could look out for one another."

It would have been better if she hadn't brought it up. At the mention of Jia Yuanchun, who was already in the palace, the Old Matriarch and Lady Wang were overcome with grief, wondering how the Prince of Qian would treat the concubines of the former emperor.

***

In the private alley.

Xue Pan was preparing to head out when he ran headlong into six armored soldiers. Accustomed to acting with impunity, and emboldened by his uncle being the Commander of the Metropolitan Garrison, he held these common soldiers in low regard. He immediately shouted, "What are you doing? Why are you here?"

The six soldiers looked him up and down. "Are you from this mansion?"

"I live inside, so what of it?"

"If you're from here, get back inside!"

The soldier pointed to the side gate opening into the alley, ordering him to go back.

Xue Pan became enraged. "Open your dog eyes and see who you're talking to! My uncle is—Ah!!!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a soldier punched him hard in the stomach. The force was so great that Xue Pan let out a miserable scream, curling up like a boiled shrimp and vomiting the breakfast he had eaten that morning.

Without waiting for him to react, two soldiers grabbed his collar, dragged him back through the side gate, and threw him inside. "By order of the Prince of Qian, no one in the Rong Mansion is allowed to leave!"

With that, they left the gate open. Four men stood guard at the entrance, while two returned to report to Dai Wei.

Inside the gate, Xue Pan writhed on the ground in agony, clutching his stomach and howling. The noise stirred the maids and matrons in Aunt Xue's household. They ran out, and upon seeing the four armored soldiers at the gate, they were terrified and rushed back to report to Aunt Xue.

"My son!"

Aunt Xue ran out, and seeing the scene, tears streamed down her face. She hurriedly ordered people to carry her son back.

Xue Baochai and Xiangling heard the news and came out. Upon seeing the four soldiers, they dared not move and watched from a distance. Only when Xue Pan was brought back to the doorway by the matrons did they dare approach.

Xiangling looked closely at Master Xue. He looked far worse than when he had pinched her face last time; his face was deathly pale, and cold sweat poured off him. She wondered what kind of internal injuries he might have sustained.

"One of you, come here!" the soldier at the gate gestured to them, pointing at the ground. "Clean up the mess he spat out, and wash it clean with water!"

Aunt Xue was concerned only with her son's injuries, so it was Xue Baochai who stepped forward and ordered two matrons to take a broom and bucket to clean the area.

After suffering for quite a while, Xue Pan finally felt a bit better.

Xue Baochai sighed deeply. "Brother, from now on, stop acting so recklessly. You must realize that trouble comes from the tongue."

Xue Pan grumbled, "Who knew they were the Prince of Qian's men!"

Baochai could not persuade him further, so she could only tell him to rest well. Back in her own room, she ordered Ying'er to start packing, preparing to move back into the garden.

Ying'er was puzzled and asked quietly, "The mansion is facing a great disaster. You had already managed to stay away, so why would you choose to jump back into this fire pit now?"

Baochai said softly, "The capital is in chaos; where is there any place of safety? Returning to the garden will at least keep us away from the soldiers at the gate. Speak less, and hurry with the packing."

Ying'er felt there was more to what her mistress was saying, but she dared not ask.

After packing, Baochai returned to Hengwu Court in the Prospect Garden to share quarters with Xue Baoqin. When Aunt Xue heard her express concern about the soldiers at the gate, she sent Xiangling into the garden to serve her, so as to keep her out of the sight of the Prince's soldiers.