Chapter 6.1
Qin Sang sighed and said, "Er Ge, you know how Lan Po treats me. I don’t expect him to care about me or our marriage. Today’s matter is entirely my fault. I was too rash and it was my idea to force Fourth Aunt to come with me so please don’t be angry with her. Si Mei is really ill. For the family’s sake, please let a physician see to her. She’s the only girl in the family and still young. Just take pity on her. After all, she’s your sister."
Yi Lianshen watched her give in and could not resist a smile. "Don"t worry. It’s not as though I’ll really enrage my father to death and force my sister to her grave."
Qin Sang could not help feeling anxious when she heard him repeat her previous potshot at him. Her sniping the night before had been an attempt at reverse psychology on him. Now when she saw him smiling winningly at her, apparently without rancour, she smiled sweetly and said: "I’m sure Er Ge is too magnanimous to bear grudges against a little woman like me."
Yi Lianshen retorted: "I’ve yet to meet another little woman as formidable as you."
Qin Sang said: "I may look threatening on the outside but I’m actually scared, thanks to you. Besides, if I make the slightest move, all your men will fire on me and I"ll be riddled with holes instantly. To be honest, I’m terrified."
Yi Lianshen snorted. "San Meimei, however did that third brother of mine come to marry a gem like you? So convincing when you want to appear pitiful, but once you get the nerve up, I wouldn’t put it past you to commit murder and arson."
Qin Sang was indignant but replied smilingly: "You flatter me. I wouldn’t have done such a stupid thing except that I panicked. Truth be told, you’re the real hero for talking to me all this time with the muzzle of a gun pointed at you."
Yi Lianshen smiled slightly. "That"s enough. Put the gun down. A woman shouldn’t be brandishing weapons anyway. When you go back, make sure you don’t alarm the aunts or Da Sao and Si Mei."
Qin Sang understood his implicit threat. What alternative was there when all the womenfolk of the family were being held by him, she herself was surrounded and the pitch-black muzzles of the guns were aimed at herself and Fourth Aunt? There was simply no way out. So, she lowered her gun. The guards, still holding their guns, edged closer and slowly removed the rifle from her grasp. Yi Lianshen then ordered, "Escort Third Mistress and Fourth Aunt back." He smiled and added, "I"ll hold a feast this afternoon to welcome you home, San Mei."
Qin Sang had no idea what he meant by that and felt bewildered. But as she was now a prisoner and completely at his mercy*, she could only play it by ear**. She simply said confidently, "In that case, thank you."
They were escorted back to their quarters. When Sixth Aunt saw them being marched back by armed guards and – worse still – Yi Lianshen following behind, she almost collapsed from the shock. Upon seeing Yi Lianshen enter the room, the physician rolled his eyes frantically but he was still gagged. The former said: "My sister-in-law is simply too playful and has given you a fright. I’ll definitely have her apologise to you later. My younger sister is extremely unwell and I must request that you stay on in my humble abode for a few more days to ensure she recovers fully."
Mr. Sun"s hands and feet were aching when they untied him and he had to be supported to his feet by the bodyguards. The rather forced smile on his face suggested he hadn’t quite believed Yi Lianshen’s words. The latter, at his most urbane, ordered for paper and ink to be brought so the physician could write a prescription for Xiaorong. Then the men were told to carefully escort Physician Sun to the backyard and see him settled there. Only then did Qin Sang realise that for the time being, one was only allowed to enter but not leave and even the physician was no exception.
As soon as Physician Sun had left, Yi Lianshen had the trussed-up guard brought out and splashed with a pail of water. As expected, the guard came to slowly and had just noticed himself lying well-trussed on the floor. Yi Lianshen didn’t even bother with explanations – bang! bang! – and had the man shot dead.
The women stiffened in shock. Eldest Mistress didn’t dare look, Fourth Aunt didn’t cry but started to tremble and the other aunts turned deathly pale. Only Qin Sang, with her fists clenched, watched as the blood snaked slowly across the tiles until it reached her feet. Even then she didn’t move, as if petrified.
Yi Lianshen ordered that the body be dragged out and water fetched to wash the floor. In a very short time, the room had been scrubbed clean, as if nothing had ever happened; he did not spare the scene a second glance, merely saying smilingly to Qin Sang, "Don’t forget our little feast later. I"ll send someone up when it’s time."
Silence reigned in the room; everyone was transfixed. The minutes ticked by after he left. Finally Eldest Mistress rushed aside and retched; Fourth Aunt collapsed to the floor, drooling, and lay there paralysed, unable to respond to Sixth Aunt"s attempts to pull her up. It was happening; their courage was dissolving and they would not dare follow her and try to escape again. After this first attempt, Yi Lianshen would certainly increase security around them and she would have no more chances to try and escape.
She thought of his "welcome feast" — more like a Hongmen feast¹. Who would have imagined this dinner would be the last meal she would ever have? He had killed that guard right in front of her as a warning but she would not be cowed. She had already seen people die: Adjutant Song was one, the guard another. She was not afraid now for all she was alone. Deng Yulin had always called her cowardly, but she didn’t know that Qin Sang had been cowardly because she had feared for her parents, for Li w.a.n.gping; she had had them to think of but now that she had nothing, she wasn’t afraid — because there was only herself.
12’s notes:
¹ fig. A banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest. Refers to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor LiúBāng 劉邦 escaped attempted murder by his rival XiàngYǔ 項羽.
This episode was so famous it gave us another saying which the author used earlier to describe Qin Sang’s predicament:
*人為刀俎我為魚肉 rén wéi dāo-zǔ, wǒ wéi yú-ròu: lit. be meat on sb’s chopping block — fig. be at somebody’s mercy.
**兵來將擋，水來土掩 bīng lái jiàng dǎng, shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn: lit. confront soldiers with generals and stem water with earth — to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation which I’ve translated as ‘play it by ear.’
Translated and edited by 12