Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 1

【text】

Ripples on the lake

one

Summer of the seventh year of Wude

Qiantang Lake, Qiantang County ①

It's often said that the Qiantang Lake is picturesque, especially in spring, but that's not entirely true. Even in summer, the scenery on both banks is even more vibrant than in spring. Green trees against a blue sky, willows and lotus leaves, and pink and white lotus blossoms floating among the endless lotus leaves—all these elements create an incredibly charming and captivating scene against the shimmering water.

In the sweltering heat of the city in summer, a gentle breeze sweeps around Gushan Island, brushing against the verdant willow branches, stirring up ripples that lap against the shore, and bringing a touch of coolness to the face—it is the most pleasant thing ever.

Boats ply the lake, mostly carrying wealthy and powerful families from the city, seeking respite from the scorching summer sun. Occasionally, a painted red boat glides by, carrying the faint sounds of string and wind instruments. A flowing gauze curtain flutters, revealing glimpses of red and green clothing, a band of emerald green on a jade-like arm, and deep crimson fingertips. The trembling of those fingertips is like a feather lightly brushing against skin, sending shivers down one's spine. The contrast between white and red is dazzling…

Slightly drunk and half-awake, a sharp scream came from the lake. The voice was not loud, but it reached my ears very clearly, "Help! What... what are you doing?" Before the words were finished, there was a "plop" sound, as something fell into the water.

People on the cruise ship leaned against the railings to look around. Someone recognized the cruise ship that had wrecked and exclaimed, "Isn't that the Yu family's ship?"

"Is that Miss Yu on the boat? And who fell into the water?"

"Didn't you hear the scream just now? It was clearly her who pushed someone into the water."

"Yes, I saw it clearly."

"That second young lady is nothing but a concubine's daughter. She usually acts like a proper young lady because of Master Yu's favor. She is always arrogant and domineering, so it's not surprising that she would do such a vicious thing. Poor girl who fell into the water, I wonder who she is?"

……

On the Yu family's pleasure boat, the servants came running upon hearing the news. A maid in a lake-green dress rushed to the railing in a panic, staring wide-eyed at the ripples spreading across the lake. Apart from a pale yellow embroidered handkerchief slowly bobbing on the water, there was no one else in sight.

"Miss...Miss!" the maid called out urgently, but received no response. She called out twice more before suddenly turning around as if she had come to her senses. She shouted at the group of servants who were already stunned and speechless, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and go into the water to save them!"

Two servants who could swim hurriedly took off their outer garments and jumped into the lake, while the rest who couldn't swim crowded to the railing, watching anxiously. The surrounding pleasure boats gradually approached, and hearing the commotion, they roughly guessed what had happened and hurriedly ordered their servants to go into the water to rescue her. A young gentleman, upon hearing that the one who had fallen into the water was the eldest daughter of the Yu family, turned pale and jumped into the water without even taking off his clothes.

The group searched the lake for over half an hour, but only managed to retrieve a pale yellow blouse. The maid in the lake-green dress turned ashen-faced upon seeing the garment, trembling all over. After finally regaining her composure, she rushed forward, grabbed the dress, and cried out, "Poor young lady!" before attempting to jump into the river with the dress in her arms. Fortunately, someone nearby reacted quickly, grabbing her sleeve and pulling her back.

The maid recognized him as one of the young masters who had jumped into the water to save someone. She knelt down before him with a thud, tears streaming down her face, and pleaded, "Please, young master, do justice for my young lady."

Gao Heng frowned slightly, exchanged a glance with his friend beside him, and then glanced at the pale-faced Miss Yu outside the crowd. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Please stand up and speak, Miss."

The maid refused to rise, instead straightening her back and staring directly at Gao Heng with her reddened eyes. She said, word by word, "My name is Qingdai, and I am the personal maid of my eldest young lady. Just now, the second young lady asked the young lady to come out and talk. I was serving her when the second young lady said she wanted to drink plum juice and asked me to go get it. I had just entered the cabin when I heard the young lady's cries for help. When I rushed out, I only saw the eldest young lady...she..." She could no longer speak coherently, her eyes fixed on Yu Wan, the second young lady of the Yu family, with eyes that seemed to shoot knives.

"You're lying! That bitch jumped down herself, I didn't push her!" The second young lady, Yu Wan, stormed into the crowd, baring her teeth and claws as she lunged at Qingdai, scratching her cheek. Qingdai didn't dodge, coldly watching her as she watched Yu Wan leave five bloody marks on her face.

The crowd erupted in uproar, and the servants of the Yu family rushed forward to grab the second young lady and pull her aside. Yu Wan, however, was still not satisfied and waved her hand, shouting fiercely, "You bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

The crowd showed expressions of disgust, and someone loudly accused, "That second young lady of the Yu family is a real shrew! She clearly harmed someone first; we all saw that clearly. The eldest young lady of the Yu family comes from a prestigious family, is well-educated and reasonable, and was just engaged to General Xu Wei of Dingyuan. She was about to marry into the capital and become the mistress of the household. How could she throw herself into the river for no reason? It was clearly this shrew who was jealous and pushed her into the water. Such a vicious person deserves to be killed by everyone."

"Take her to see the officials!"

"Yes, send her to see the magistrate. Let's see how Lord Liu decides her case."

...

Some people, mindful of the Yu family's power and knowing that Master Yu doted on his concubine the most, whispered, "After all, it's their family matter; it's best not to speak recklessly."

A clamor erupted among the crowd, most accusing the second young lady of the Yu family of pushing someone into the water, a crime deserving death. Their words were vehement, and some even spat at her in anger. A knowledgeable servant in the Yu family, fearing further escalation, quickly sent someone ashore to inform the mansion. Soon after, the master of the Yu family arrived in a hurry. Whether from the heat or his anxiety, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Master Yu, Yu Hang, was a classmate of Prefect Liu Chengchun. They both passed the provincial examination in the first year of the Wude era and went to the capital to take the imperial examination. Liu Chengchun passed with flying colors, but Yu Hang failed. He took the exam twice more, but perhaps he was not destined to be an official, as he always failed. Fortunately, the Yu family was quite wealthy, and several of his ancestors had served as officials. With the help of his wife's family, the Cui clan of Qinghe, Master Yu bought a nominal title of acting prefect, making him a figure of some importance in Qiantang County.

Yu Hang boarded the boat, panting, and after apologizing profusely to everyone, he intended to take the second young lady of the Yu family back to the manor. Although everyone felt indignant, it was ultimately a matter within the Yu family. They wanted to stand up for the eldest young lady but dared not say much, and after sighing repeatedly, they all shook their heads and left. Only the maid named Qingdai knelt on the ground, refusing to move, looking stubbornly at Gao Heng, and said, "This servant is not a servant of the Yu family, but a maid that the madam assigned to the eldest young lady. Before the madam passed away, she returned the indenture to this servant, and now I am no longer a servant of the Yu family."

Gao Heng had always liked this loyal maid, and seeing that she was unwilling to return to the Yu residence, he quickly said after thinking it over, "If you have nowhere to go, you can stay in the residence for the time being."

With red eyes, Qingdai kowtowed to Gao Heng and said, "Thank you for your help, young master."

…… ……

One month later, in the outskirts of Qiantang

The dog days of summer have just begun, and the sun is getting stronger every day.

It was midday, the sun blazing down on the ground, not a breath of wind blowing, even the cicadas' chirping sounded weak and listless. Yet, someone hurried past on the usually quiet country road. It was a thin young man, wearing an oversized, dusty gray cotton jacket, a straw hat on his head, his head bowed slightly as if to shield himself from the sun, the brim obscuring most of his face, revealing only a faint glimpse of his handsome chin.

The boy walked along the river for half a mile before suddenly turning into a shady path through the trees along the riverbank. The surroundings suddenly cooled, and a refreshing breeze drifted through the gaps in the trees. The boy exhaled softly and slowed his pace considerably.

At the end of the tree-lined avenue was a small courtyard, surrounded by a wall taller than a person, with only glimpses of greenery peeking out from the top. The gate was tightly shut, and the menacing bronze door knocker had a ring biting into it, the ring bearing mottled scratches.

The boy knocked softly on the door, one short knock followed by three long ones. Soon, soft footsteps could be heard in the courtyard, and the door opened slightly, revealing half of the girl's delicate face. Upon seeing the boy, a smile immediately bloomed on the girl's face, and she said in a clear voice, "You've finally come! You've kept us waiting." Then, she peeked out and looked around.

The young man nimbly slipped through the door, took off his straw hat, and grinned, revealing pearly white teeth. "Don't worry, I was very careful. No one followed me." This young man was none other than Qingdai, the maid who had vowed to seek justice for the eldest daughter of the Yu family on the ship that day.

"How is Miss?" Qingdai asked hurriedly after closing the door.

The girl pouted and said angrily, "Of course it's good. What, you think you're so clever? Can't I even serve Miss properly?"

Qingdai could tell she was joking, but she still coaxed her softly, "Of course I know that Sister Bailing is always clever and loyal. It's just that I haven't seen Miss for a long time and I miss her very much."

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Miss is taking a nap in the inner room. She should be awake by now. I'll go and wake her up, otherwise she won't be able to sleep tonight." As she spoke, she took Qingdai's hand and walked into the courtyard.

The courtyard was extremely small, with only one entrance and three main rooms. The east wing served as the servants' quarters, while the west wing was converted into a kitchen and storage room. Bamboo was planted both inside and outside the courtyard, in clumps, and several potted plants were placed under the bamboo shade. Although they were not in bloom, their branches and leaves were lush.

Bai Ling led the way. When they arrived at the door, Qing Dai stopped and waited. Only after Bai Ling announced her arrival did she enter.

After passing a rosewood screen carved with orchid patterns, they entered the inner room. Yu Youtong, the eldest daughter of the Yu family who was rumored to have drowned long ago, was reclining leisurely on the couch, yawning lazily as she looked Qingdai up and down. Finally, she grinned and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Qingdai, you're back."

Note: ① Qiantang Lake, also known as West Lake, was called Qiantang Lake in ancient times. Before the Tang Dynasty, it was also known as Wulin Water, Mingsheng Lake, Jinniu Lake, Longchuan, Qianyuan, Qiantang Lake, Shanghu, Xizi Lake, etc.

② Door knocker: A ring-shaped ornament on a door, mostly shaped like an animal head holding a ring.

Banditry at the villa

two

"Is that all?" Yu Youtong leaned back on the couch, holding a half-embroidered pale yellow orchid handkerchief between her fingers, and asked as if casually.

"Yes." Qingdai replied with her head down, "They were sent away overnight to Suzhou. They only said to the outside world that he died suddenly. But no one believes it. No one in the Yu family dares to go out, for fear of being scolded."

Yu Youtong smiled, but her eyes were extremely cold. She had long known that the old man would not abandon his beloved second daughter. If this matter hadn't become public knowledge, he would have definitely suppressed it. Everyone knew that he only had eyes for this biological daughter, whether she was alive or dead.

Looking up at Qingdai's face, which seemed to be shrouded in a faint worry, Yu Youtong lightly tapped the table with her slender fingers, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What, do you think I went too far?"

Qingdai was taken aback and quickly said, "How could that be? Compared to what the Second Madam and the Second Miss have done, Miss has already shown great compassion."

If she hadn't made the first move, she would likely be the one ruined and disgraced by now. Thinking about what those two women had done and said to her and her mother over the years, and imagining the current chaos in the mansion, Yu Youtong finally felt a sense of relief. She had originally planned to add fuel to the fire, but she decided against it. However, she absolutely couldn't let that old man of the Yu family get away with it.

"Fine, without the Second Miss Yu's disguise, she probably won't be able to cause any more trouble." She paused, lowered her eyes, and then asked, "Have you heard anything from the person you were asked to go to Qinghe to deliver the message?"

Qingdai's lips curled into a mocking smile. "They did arrive quickly, a dozen or so people. I heard they came by water and arrived in about half a month. They caused a huge scene in the manor. Master had originally invited Lord Liu to the manor, but Lord Liu made an excuse and did not attend. My uncle and the servants he brought took back all of Madam's dowry. Master was so angry that he fainted on the spot."

Yu Youtong sneered, "It wasn't his to begin with, so it's only natural to take it back. What is he anyway, trying to seize my mother's property? Not all the Cui families of Qinghe are as gentle and easy to talk to as my mother."

Qingdai nodded silently, her eyes flashing slightly, but quickly darkening again. She said in a low voice, "That young master Gao not only jumped into the river to save people that day, but also sent a letter to Lord Liu afterwards. In my opinion, he seems to be..." She hesitated for a moment, as if she didn't know whether she should continue.

Yu Youtong frowned slightly, looked up at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Qingdai bit her lip and said, "This servant thinks that Young Master Gao comes from a prestigious family, is talented, and is extremely handsome. More importantly, he is deeply in love with Miss. Why won't Miss...won't he..." She secretly glanced at Yu Youtong, but dared not continue.

Yu Youtong sighed, picked up the cup of tea from the table beside the couch, took a sip to moisten her throat, and then said, "You know, I made up my mind a long time ago not to marry. Putting aside everything else, my mother was so beautiful and came from a noble family. She married into the Yu family, but ended up with a miserable life. Most men in this world are heartless and unfaithful, and cannot be trusted. Rather than suffer in the future, it's better to guard these family businesses and live a free and easy life. I have money and land, and I'm capable of supporting myself. Why should I have to put up with the attitudes of those wretched men?"

As for Gao Heng, she had only met him once, at most a casual remark made by her mother to Old Madam Gao when they were burning incense and chanting Buddhist prayers at Miaoyun Nunnery. It was hardly something to be taken seriously. Moreover, she later became engaged to Xu Wei.

Qingdai recalled the lady's face, and her heart ached. She wanted to comfort her again but didn't know how to begin.

Speaking of Madam Yu, everyone in Qiantang County knows that she was an elegant woman from the Cui family of Qinghe①, gentle and virtuous, as noble as a white lotus, but in the end, she withered away little by little in the Yu family.

Yu Youtong rubbed her temples and smiled wryly, "You must be tired too, go and rest first."

Qingdai silently withdrew. Outside, Bailing was still waiting, leading her to the room in the east wing. The room was extremely clean, and because it was surrounded by green trees and bamboo, and not in the sun, it was quite cool. A bamboo mat was laid on the bed, and a bowl of mung bean soup sat on the bedside table.

Bai Ling smiled and said, "I figured you'd be back soon, so Miss specifically asked me to cook you some mung bean soup. It's not as good as yours, of course, but I didn't bring a cook with me when I left, so just make do with this."

Yu Youtong only told her two trusted maids about faking her death and leaving the manor, so naturally she couldn't have brought any other servants with her. Bai Ling was only in charge of jewelry and accessories in the manor and wasn't good at cooking. The two of them had been living in this courtyard for a month, and although they hadn't gone hungry, their food was certainly bland.

After she drank the soup, Bai Ling closed the door and left. Qingdai also felt her eyelids getting heavy, so she leaned against the couch to rest. She dozed off for an unknown amount of time, and when she woke up, the room was exactly as it had been before she fell asleep, with only the sounds of insects and birds all around. She opened the window, but the sky outside had darkened considerably. The sun sets early in the woods, and the breeze blowing in now carried a hint of coolness.

As soon as she stepped outside, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen. Qingdai rolled up her sleeves and walked towards the kitchen. Reaching the doorway, she was stunned by the sight inside. The young lady, who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen, was actually wielding a spatula and stir-frying vegetables with surprising skill, while Bailing was tending the fire under the pond. Perhaps hearing the sounds at the door, Bailing turned around and glanced at her, grinning, "You're awake! The young lady said she was hungry and couldn't wait for you to wake up, so she started cooking herself."

Qingdai was a little annoyed. She quickly stepped forward, snatched the spatula from Yu Youtong's hand, and said to Bai Ling, "How could you let Miss do it? What if she gets burned?"

Bai Ling pouted, looking aggrieved and wanting to say something, but remained silent. Yu Youtong, standing to the side, smiled and smoothed things over: "I'm no longer the young lady of the Yu family, I don't need to put on airs anymore. You know Bai Ling's skills, I need to make a living too." She paused, then added with a smile, "I didn't know I had this talent. Bai Ling even said that if things continue like this, I'm afraid I'll surpass you in no time."

Bai Ling nodded repeatedly, while Qing Dai glared at her and whispered, "Miss is Miss. No matter what happens, you are still our mistress. We absolutely cannot let you do such rough work. However, if Miss wants to do it for the young master in the future, this servant will not stop her."

Yu Youtong was both amused and exasperated. This girl was always trying to dispel her idea of remaining single.

In the end, Qingdai took charge of the cooking, preparing four dishes and a soup: braised pork with dried vegetables, mint tea-scented pork ribs, ham and eggplant, shiitake mushrooms and bok choy, and eight-treasure lotus root soup. Qingdai's culinary skills were truly superb; the three of them, mistress and servants, ate with great relish.

After a night's rest, Bai Ling and Qing Dai began packing their belongings early the next morning. There wasn't much; valuables, banknotes, and land deeds filled a small box. The bulky antiques and paintings had already been sent to the estate's storeroom. Most of this consisted of Madam Yu's dowry and the profits accumulated over the years. When Madam Yu was seriously ill, Yu Youtong, wary of his father seizing these properties, gradually transferred them to his own name, keeping only the shops and account books in name.

As dusk fell, the carriage that was supposed to pick them up finally arrived. The three of them, along with the two boxes, boarded the carriage and slowly left Qiantang County.

Two hundred li north of Qiantang County, after leaving the official road, there is a grove of trees. Beyond the grove lies Yu Youtong's estate. This estate, covering more than forty qing, was not part of Cui's dowry, but was acquired by Yu Youtong gradually after she came of age. Apart from her maids Qingdai and Bailing, no one in the Yu household knew about it.

The estate, shaped like a teapot, was surrounded by water on three sides, with only a road leading to the woods on the east side—a strategically advantageous location, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As the carriage reached the crossroads, the estate's forester greeted them, bowing and saying, "Young Master, you've returned! Was your journey pleasant?"

Qingdai jumped out of the carriage and slowly pulled back the curtain. Yu Youtong, dressed in men's clothing, peeked out and smiled gently at him, "Is everything alright? Is Master settled in?"

Steward Lin replied, "Master Jingyi arrived the day before yesterday and is currently staying at Huai Courtyard."

Abbess Jingyi was not very old. In the past, Cui often worshipped Buddha at Jing'an Temple, and Yu Youtong also lived in the temple with her. Because of her calm nature and extremely delicate mind, she got along very well with Abbess Jingyi, and the two became master and disciple after several years of friendship.

Master Jingyi came from a family of physicians, possessing not only superb medical skills but also considerable martial arts skills due to her deceased husband's family having been chivalrous figures in the martial arts world. Yu Youtong became her disciple and studied under her for several years. No one expected that this seemingly delicate and frail young lady would have such a talent for martial arts. In just a few years, she had mastered eight or nine tenths of Master Jingyi's skills, while she wasn't particularly interested in medicine, only having a superficial understanding of it.

Yu Youtong faked her death and left the manor without consulting Jingyi beforehand. She only sent someone to the nunnery to inform her afterwards and instructed the servants to bring her to the estate to live out her days. She had initially worried that Jingyi would be angry and not come, but now it seems that she still values this disciple after all.

Following the path to the east, we entered the village. Beyond the gate lay rolling farmland, with trees of varying heights planted along the paths, leading to a dense forest. The southern woods were particularly lush, and in the height of summer, the path was almost invisible through the verdant foliage. We could only faintly hear the barking of dogs and the crowing of roosters, their distances indistinguishable.

Given the current unstable situation and rampant bandits, Yu Youtong specifically instructed his servants to build the courtyard in a dense forest. This would both conceal their movements and provide a good defense should bandits attack.

Every plant and tree in the forest was planted in an orderly fashion, conforming to the principles of Yin and Yang. Unless one is proficient in formations, rashly entering the forest will only lead to getting trapped. The forest steward had previously instructed the tenants of the manor not to approach this forest. At first, some people did not believe him and secretly tried to break in. As a result, they were trapped in the forest for seven or eight days and were on the verge of death before the forest steward personally rescued them. Since then, the people of the manor have kept their distance and could not be summoned even if called.

Only two courtyards were built in the woods. The front courtyard was Yu Youtong's plum garden, and the second courtyard was the locust tree courtyard, which was specially reserved for Abbess Jingyi. Both had five main rooms. Apart from Qingdai and Bailing living in the east wing of the plum garden, the other servants who did cleaning and cooking lived in the outer rooms and side rooms. Abbess Jingyi and her young nun An Hui also lived in the east wing of the locust tree courtyard.

Upon arrival, all three got out of the car. Abbess Jingyi, who had received the news earlier, came out to greet them. She had originally intended to give Youtong a good scolding, but when she actually saw her, she couldn't utter a single harsh word. She just glared at her resentfully with a stern face.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yu Youtong focused on being submissive and said a lot of nice things, coaxing and teasing Jingyi until her face gradually softened.

The courtyard had already been tidied up, and the furniture and furnishings in the room had been wiped clean. Two maids went inside to unpack their luggage, while Yu Youtong and Abbess Jingyi sat and talked in the pavilion in the courtyard.

A moment later, Steward Lin came over and asked if she wanted to see the stewards and maids below. Yu Youtong thought for a moment, then asked Abbess Jingyi to go back to her room to rest. She called Qingdai and Bailing back, and after they sat down in the main hall, she asked Steward Lin to call the others in.

A moment later, four or five people entered through the door, men and women, all dressed as farmers. They bowed their heads and bowed respectfully as soon as they entered, their expressions so focused that they dared not even glance around. Yu Youtong was very satisfied to see that they were so well-behaved. After giving them a few perfunctory instructions, she had Steward Lin lead them away.

Nothing major happened in the manor. They could provide for their daily needs, and Steward Lin handled most of the other purchases himself. Qingdai and Bailing would occasionally go to town to buy cosmetics, snacks, and trinkets. Only Yu Youtong rarely went out, spending her days in the manor discussing Buddhism and chatting with Abbess Jingyi, occasionally painting or playing music. She lived a comfortable life.

By the end of August, things were getting a little unsettled in the county. News of bandits committing crimes began to circulate, initially robbing passing merchants, but later they started harassing wealthy households' estates. Fortunately, Yu Youtong had made preparations in advance, having Steward Lin block off the road to the east and organizing the men of the estate to take turns guarding it, so nothing serious happened for the time being.