Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 1 Wedges
In the dead of winter of the 41st year of the Jiayong era.

The funeral bell in the west courtyard of the Yan family mansion pierced through the high walls in the dead of night, swept through the dense wind and snow, and echoed throughout the surrounding streets and alleys.

Two weeks ago, Yan Song, the Grand Secretary who had held power in the court for decades, was impeached by the censors and accused of several crimes, including persecuting loyal officials and accepting bribes and treacherous officials.

After a delicate two weeks, Yan Song suddenly entered the palace yesterday with a ten-thousand-word memorial to the emperor, and then killed himself by banging his head against a dragon pillar outside the palace.

The emperor was frail from childhood, and Yan Song served him for over forty years, yet he still did not retire when he was nearly eighty.

Upon Yan Song's death, the emperor's anger instantly turned to grief. That very night, with tears in his eyes, he issued an edict pardoning Yan Song's crimes, bestowing upon him a posthumous title, and granting him the title of Duke.

Furthermore, Yan Shu, the only son of Yan Song who was serving as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Seal Office, was granted the title of Marquis of Wuyang, and was ordered to change his three-year mourning period to one year, after which he was to enter the court to participate in government affairs.

Yan Shu had been living in the inner palace since childhood, and his cunning surpassed even that of his father. Yan Song saved the Yan family by sacrificing himself and promoted his only son, Yan Shu, who harbored the heart of a tiger and jackal, to the throne, thus continuing the family's immense favor.

At midnight, the Yan residence was still brightly lit, with everyone gathered in the mourning hall in the west to handle the funeral arrangements. Suddenly, a loud bang came from the northeast corner, followed by a pillar of fire several meters high!
Against the backdrop of a snowy night, the pillar of fire shone so brightly that it instantly illuminated half the sky!
The previously orderly mansion began to descend into chaos. Shouts and screams echoed from the firelight in the east all the way to the mourning hall. Taking advantage of this moment, several dark figures slipped into the deep mansion from behind the firelight and then scurried away along the covered walkways under the buildings.

Flames pierced through the wind and snow. Deep within a house across the street, Shen Qingzhou grabbed several blood-soaked bundles and threw them into a corner of a dilapidated temple. Then, he sat on the threshold, picked up a few pieces of firewood, and lit the charcoal in front of him: "Did you avoid the innocent?"

“We avoided it.” He Qu pulled off his mask. “Last night, the brothers went to scout the way. No one lives in that courtyard normally, so even if we set it on fire, no one would be burned.”

The embers of the charcoal fire flickered in the darkness. Shen Qingzhou lifted the hem of his black fur cloak and casually pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from his fingers: "Not only must you get Yan Shu's head within two quarters of an hour, but you must also do your utmost to take care of his remaining eight sons!"

"Yes!"

He Qu turned around and leaped out of the dilapidated temple like a hawk.

Snowflakes blanketed the sky, and the world fell silent instantly.

Before long, in addition to the sound of wind and snow, there were footsteps accompanied by light panting.

Shen Qingzhou warmed his hands, picked up the mask beside him and covered his face, calmly brushing away the cold ash to cover the red charcoal.

At the doorway, where only a faint light shone, someone tripped over the threshold and tumbled headfirst into the house.

The woman's low, labored breathing sounded somewhat muffled in the wind. As the cold wind swept in, a strong, pungent smell of blood also wafted in.

Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly and lit the tinderbox.

The firelight, like a sharp arrow, quickly illuminated the person sitting against the wall in front of her. It was a young woman in her early twenties who, startled by the sudden appearance of the firelight, pressed her back against the crumbling wall as she looked over.

Shen Qingzhou's gaze lingered for a moment on her face beneath her disheveled black hair before sliding down to the white dress she was wearing.

Despite the heavy snow and wind, she was only wearing a thin coat. And on the shoulders, back, chest, and abdomen of this thin coat, there were several large, glaring, scarlet bloodstains.

Shen Qingzhou turned her gaze back to her face: "The Yan family?"

The Yan family's estate spanned several streets, and there were no other prominent families nearby. For someone so severely injured to have managed to escape from the Yan family's estate to this place on a snowy night like this was quite an achievement. Judging by her high-bun hairstyle and phoenix bracelet, she was most likely a formally married young mistress of the Yan family.

The woman straightened up, her right hand warily reaching for her waist: "Who are you?"

Shen Qingzhou ignored her.

Beneath the distant snowflakes, torchlight was already glowing. Listening closely, one could also hear faint footsteps and shouts.

He grabbed the sword behind the threshold and pointed it at the woman: "The people you brought here?"

The sudden appearance of pursuers also gave him a sense of foreboding. Although the women of the Yan family were not on his assassination list, he wouldn't mind making an exception if her appearance was for other purposes.

The woman gritted her teeth, staring at the blood on his sword, then suddenly rolled up her sleeves: "With these wounds on me, what do you think?"

When the sleeves were rolled up, one could see that the slender arms were covered in bloodstains, and several red, swollen, and bleeding wounds were visible. These were not even the most bleeding areas—this certainly did not look like a trap.

It wasn't them tracking her, so could it be that something happened to He Qu and the others?
"You, you're the one who set the fire?"

Just as Shen Qingzhou was beginning to have doubts, the woman, as if thinking of something, suddenly asked in a hoarse voice.

Shen Qingzhou had no interest in paying attention to her.

The woman's face turned even paler: "I was in the yard when you set the fire!"

Shen Qingzhou then frowned and turned around.

"I had already planned my escape, hiding in the courtyard to avoid being seen. I thought it was my maid who started the fire, so I took advantage of the chaos to come out. It turns out it was you—since it wasn't the maid who started the fire, they'll soon realize something's wrong and start searching for the culprit!"

"You're the ones who brought them here; they're here to track you down!" the woman said, becoming agitated, her limbs trembling uncontrollably.

"You said you were in the burning yard?"

"Otherwise, how would I have guessed you were the murderer!" The woman gritted her teeth. "I could have waited until dawn when the city gates opened and left the city smoothly, but you ruined my plans!"

The woman gritted her teeth, which showed just how angry she was.

However, Shen Qingzhou's plan did not include the sudden appearance of the Yan family's female relatives. He Qu and the others had scouted the route last night and only made their move after confirming everything. In the end, problems still arose, and at such a critical juncture!

In order to succeed in one fell swoop, he had put all eighteen of his guards into the Yan family. In other words, the pursuers had arrived, but he had no help at the moment!
Meanwhile, the torchlight from behind the snowstorm had rapidly expanded around the dilapidated temple. This was a force that the Yan family could not possibly possess; they must have summoned government officials as quickly as possible.

Shen Qingzhou gripped his longsword tightly and stepped out the door.

The woman suddenly grabbed his sleeve: "Take me away!"

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her, her cold eyes full of rejection.

It's highly unusual for a married woman to secretly elope in the snowy night with her belongings. He has even less reason to create more trouble for himself at this critical juncture.

“I don’t mind if you take me hostage!” The woman stared intently into his eyes, her grip tightening even more.

She had lost so much blood and was very weak, but her eyes were filled with the will to live.

The Yan family is of such high status that outsiders say even their watchdogs have more face than ordinary officials. The young mistress who is formally married into the family must also be a noblewoman from a high-ranking family of equal social standing.

Furthermore, given the Yan family's status and power, logically speaking, no one would be willing to give up such a life.

But she chose to leave in this state, in this disheveled manner. "Be careful!"

In the silence, shouts and torchlight had already passed over the wall. The light even shone into Shen Qingzhou's eyes.

He gritted his teeth: "Swords and spears have no eyes, you brought that up yourself."

The woman swallowed hard: "Don't worry, I won't blame you if I die!"

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her coldly, then grabbed her and leaped onto the roof.

The scene before them sent chills down one's spine. Sure enough, the dilapidated temple was surrounded on all sides by the guards of the Yan family, who were carrying torches. Every alley was filled with figures moving quickly, and there were even several rows of crossbowmen among them.

Shen Qingzhou knew the capital's layout like the back of his hand. He did the opposite, heading towards the back alley of the Yan residence. Since the entire Yan family's guards were out in force, based on past experience, going back now would usually reveal more weaknesses.

"stop!"

The nearby guards quickly spotted them and then called their accomplices to surround them.

The wind and snow lashed against their faces, biting cold. But for those struggling to survive, it was nothing to worry about.

As soon as they descended from the wall onto the street, two groups of people blocked their path from the front and back.

Shen Qingzhou shoved the woman in front of him: "Get out of the way!"

The pursuers' knives were almost pressed against the woman's chest and abdomen, but if they broke through this alley, they would reach Wangfu Street, lined with official residences, a territory the Yan family couldn't enter without permission. If he could buy enough time to shake off the pursuers, he was absolutely certain he could escape.

As expected, the other side reduced their offensive, and several sharp-eyed individuals quickly exclaimed, "That looks like the Third Young Mistress!... Yes, it really is the Third Young Mistress!... So he kidnapped the Third Young Mistress!"

—Third Young Mistress?
Shen Qingzhou glanced at the woman in front of him with amusement. Then he leaped up and charged forward, cutting through the thorns and brambles.

Since the "hostage" was so useful, he had even less reason to be conservative. Ordinary people simply couldn't withstand his offensive, and with a powerful hostage in his hands, both sides involuntarily retreated.

"Don't retreat! Kill them!"

Just as they were about to shake off their pursuers, a sharp shout suddenly came from ahead. Under a thick sycamore tree at the east gate of the Yan residence, stood two noblewomen in their early forties, accompanied by a large retinue. The woman in the lead, adorned with jewels, stared directly at the woman in Shen Qingzhou's hand, her eyes filled with coldness.

"The Jiang family?"

Shen Qingzhou narrowed his eyes.

He actually recognized this woman.

While he was assessing the situation in his mind, the woman he was holding suddenly trembled, and her face turned ashen again.

"Are you afraid of her?" he asked.

“No!” the woman blurted out. “When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail. Tonight, she should be afraid of me.”

After saying that, she clenched her fists: "Charge!"

Shen Qingzhou readily complied, grabbed her, and charged straight ahead.

The woman under the tree is Madam Jiang, wife of Lu Jie, a cabinet minister and Minister of Rites. She is here because she is also Yan Song's adopted daughter.

Relying on this status, she had become the second most powerful noblewoman in the entire court, second only to Yan Shu's wife.

Even though Shen Qingzhou didn't know the relationship between Jiang Shi and this woman, he knew that Jiang Shi had a bigger background than the third young mistress of the Yan family, and that attacking her directly would be more likely to succeed.

He was convinced the woman thought the same way, so he focused intently on choosing his angle of attack. But a sharp pain suddenly shot through his waist—the woman had somehow drawn a dagger, glanced at the group of attendants under the tree, then shoved him aside and ran towards the noblewoman!

"You wicked woman, prepare to die!"

The woman's furious roar, filled with deep-seated hatred, instantly tore through the night sky!
Her actions threw everyone into disarray. Jiang's unarmed entourage scattered like birds, while the armed guards and pursuers were momentarily unsure which to confront! By the time they realized what was happening, the woman with the knife was already upon Jiang! ...

Before Shen Qingzhou could react to the shock, he turned around to face the dozen or so broadswords that were thrust at him, and continued to fight his way toward the woman!

He wanted to call her back, but realized he didn't even know her name!
Just as he was raising his sword and killing wildly, the woman, with her flesh and blood, took the opportunity to break into the pursuing army camp full of swords and spears, and forcefully plunged the knife into Jiang's chest!

"If I can drag you down with me, then my death won't have been in vain!"

Her words, spoken through gritted teeth, reached Jiang's ears, each one like a vengeful demon!
Jiang pointed at her, her voice trembling: "Lu Jia! Lu Jia!..."

Lu Jia pulled out his knife and roared as he stabbed her several more times in the chest and abdomen! Jiang's blood smeared her face, and at that moment, four or five swords that shot out from the side also pierced her back with perfect accuracy...

The thick snow was instantly stained red with blood.

Shen Qingzhou stood against the wall, her limbs instantly stiffening!
"I don't want to die!"

"Take me away!..."

The woman's desire to live still echoed in her ears, but in the blink of an eye, she would rather be pierced through the chest and abdomen by countless swords, dragging her enemy down with her!

The cold wind carried him as he jumped off the wall and took two quick steps toward the woman.

The woman stretched out her right hand, trying to reach the blood-stained bundle not far away, mumbling something, but ultimately uttering no words...

"catch him!"

The sounds of pursuers attacking again rang out.

Shen Qingzhou leaped forward to pick up the bundle, took one last deep look at the woman covered in snowflakes, then turned and charged at the pursuers, desperately rushing towards the street corner...

My dear darlings, it's great to see you again! ε(><)з
The book, originally planned for release in July, was delayed until August. On the bright side, this gave us enough time to prepare, and the story became more complete.

The new book still features a revenge plot, but it will also include a significant amount of everyday romance.

I look forward to everyone's support and to reading the new chapters promptly! \(ω)/
For those waiting for updates, you can check out "Prosperous Spring," which just finished airing.

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This book title is likely to be duplicated, so please add it to your bookshelf first to avoid not being able to find it later ε(><)з
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(End of this chapter)