Chapter 82: Advance and Retreat
Jiao Youchang was dead, but Qi Chenghai was not. He was taken captive and, without hesitation, spilled everything about the Qi Family's dealings. With that, the situation in Chuzhou became clear. The three major families of Chuzhou had formed an alliance, led by the Qi Family. They commanded tens of thousands of soldiers, attempting to use the geographical advantage to hold Chuzhou and establish their own kingdom. For the officials of Chuzhou, whether they were complicit or not, it was too late for regrets. But Gao Yunqu and her people had taken the Wazhai Stronghold, driving a wedge into Chuzhou and preventing them from closing the gate. After defeating Jiao Youchang's mountain bandits, Wei Licheng's army took a brief rest. Then, before the three Chuzhou families could react, they struck directly at the various strategic strongholds. The mountain bandits were bullies who feared the strong. Goaded by Gao Yunqu, they scrambled to lead the government army, hoping to atone for their crimes and save their own skins. The government soldiers disguised themselves as scattered, defeated troops and infiltrated the various passes. Within a few days, they had caused the banners to change everywhere.
When Qi Chengming received the news, he couldn't believe it. Just two days ago, he commanded an army of tens of thousands, his defense of Chuzhou impenetrable. He was on the verge of donning the yellow robe and declaring himself king. Now, only a few days later, he was a turtle in a jar, a dog trapped behind a gate. But he had no time to dwell on it. He could only gather his remaining troops and retreat while fighting, falling back to Chuzhou City and shutting the gates.
The city was in chaos. Chuzhou had many military households, and most of the able-bodied young men were in the army. However, there were still many older veterans who had retired and returned home. Suddenly forced by the great families to become rioters, how could they be willing? Outside the walls, the imperial army was bearing down. Inside, conflicts erupted frequently. Countless reports flooded in, and Qi Chengming's head felt like it would explode. He roared, "Where is A'lin? Isn't she in charge of the city's affairs? Why is it in such a mess! And where did A'ning go! Go find them and put them to work!"
A nearby attendant searched but couldn't find them. He returned, bracing himself, to report: "The Fourth and Sixth Ladies are not at home. They are likely still out and about..."
"Out and about my ass! Can't they tell what's important? Find them! And go get A'chong! ...Wife! Wife!..."
At that very moment, Qi Daolin and Qi Daoning were already outside the city. Dressed in inconspicuous attire, they watched from a hidden hilltop as the imperial army besieged the city.
"I've dreamed of this scene more than once," Qi Daolin sighed.
"Did you dream of winning or losing?" Qi Daoning asked.
"I don't know. Every time, I only dream of being terribly anxious, and I wake up before a victor is decided." Qi Daolin stretched out her hand, feeling the moisture in the wind. "But every time, I was inside the city."
"A storm is coming." Qi Daoning sniffed the earthy scent in the air. "A ship that has already rotted should be abandoned. Let it sink completely. Look at that firelight, isn't it lovely? A single fire burns it all away, and the remaining ashes might even be of some use."
The Qi Family's swift defeat was not unrelated to the two of them. Qi Daoning had suppressed the flow of intelligence, leaving them blind and deaf, while Qi Daolin stirred up trouble in the city, inciting the veterans to riot and forcing them to divert energy and troops to suppress it. Together, the two of them had buried the rottenness that had suffocated them for over a decade.
Qi Daolin sighed, "You and I have both drilled holes in this old ship. I wonder what our ancestors would think if they knew."
"Our ancestors built this city to bring stability to Chuzhou and peace to its people, not to carve up the land and crown themselves kings. If they really are watching from the underworld and blame us, then we have no need for such ancestors." Qi Daoning had always been a rebel, and she spoke these words without the slightest discomfort.
Qi Daolin was silent for a moment, then suddenly added, "You're right. What does the ancestral line matter? It's better to sever it cleanly."
Qi Daoning was stunned. Were these words truly coming from her proper, rule-abiding older sister?
Qi Daolin smiled. "Let's go. Where are we headed? You must have a plan, right?"
"To the sea! The world is vast, we can roam as we please! Let's go!"
They mounted their horses and rode in the opposite direction, leaving the home that was a family in name but a prison in reality behind them, without a single glance back. The path forward, which had been cut off since they were eighteen, was now clear of the dense fog, inviting them to stride ahead.
In the sixth month of the sixteenth year of Yongxing, the great families of Chuzhou rebelled. Gao Yunqu made a decisive move, ordering Wei Licheng's troops to first capture the various passes of Chuzhou, seizing its throat. The great families retreated to Chuzhou City to make their stand.
On the seventh day of the seventh month of the sixteenth year of Yongxing, reinforcements from Quzhou arrived and joined forces with Wei Licheng's troops. They launched a formal assault and took Chuzhou City in three days. The great families' defeat was like a landslide; all were captured.
With Chuzhou preliminarily pacified, there were countless matters to attend to. The original high-ranking officials of Chuzhou were, to varying degrees, involved with the great families and were all awaiting judgment. The entirety of Chuzhou's affairs fell on the shoulders of Gao Yunqu and Fang Jian. Even with Xie Min and Zhong Yao helping, they were swamped with work from dawn till dusk.
In mid-July, a new imperial commissioner, Hu Dayou, arrived in Chuzhou to preside over the rebellion case. She also brought new appointments: Gao Yunqu was transferred to the position of Prefect of Chuzhou, and Fang Jian was transferred to Assistant Prefect of Chuzhou, in charge of civil administration. The civil and military officials who had come with them all temporarily remained in Chuzhou. Coupled with the subordinate officials Hu Dayou brought, they finally managed to establish a new administrative framework for Chuzhou.
Gao Yunqu had been working nonstop for over ten days. She held on until Hu Dayou arrived, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. In their youth, both she and Hu Dayou had been staunch supporters of the Emperor, and they had once joined forces to topple a major court parasite. Hu Dayou was a trustworthy person. The moment she relaxed, she collapsed, throwing everyone into another flurry of panic.
Gao Yunqu slept for a long time. She had been imprisoned for over a month, and after her release, she had exhausted her mind planning and strategizing. Once in the city, she had been so busy she forgot to eat or sleep. Her body had long been overdrawn.
When she woke, the sky was dark. A dim yellow lamp was lit on the table, not very bright, but it cast a warm glow over the room. She had slept very well. Gao Yunqu let out a long sigh, feeling much recovered. She tried to turn over and sit up, but found Fang Jian asleep by her bedside, her head resting on her sleeve. So she stopped moving and lay back down, but Fang Jian had already been startled awake.
She was overjoyed. "Lord Gao! You're awake!"
"Mm..." Gao Yunqu let Fang Jian help her sit up and asked, "How long was I asleep?"
"Two days." Fang Jian's eyes grew hot, her heart aching for her.
Seeing her expression, Gao Yunqu couldn't help but chuckle. "It's nothing. I was just tired. A good sleep was all I needed."
"Would you like something to eat, Lord Gao?"
"Yes." Gao Yunqu got up and sat at the table. Aside from some soreness from just waking up, she felt no other discomfort. Fang Jian went out to call for a meal to be brought in. When she returned, she chattered on about the physician's diagnosis—though it was only exhaustion, the hardships she had endured recently had taken a toll on her body, and she needed to recuperate properly, and so on.
The words went in one of Gao Yunqu's ears and out the other as she hummed in agreement. The kitchen had kept light congee and side dishes ready for her, and they were brought up in no time. The warm congee warmed her entire body.
"What time is it?"
"It's past midnight. Would you like to lie down again, Lord Gao?"
"Mm."
Fang Jian helped her lie down again, then sat on the footstool to keep watch.
Gao Yunqu looked at her. "Aren't you going back to rest?"
Fang Jian shook her head. "I'll go back after you've fallen asleep, Lord Gao."
Gao Yunqu knew her collapse must have frightened Fang Jian, so she said no more. But she couldn't quite fall asleep. She lay there properly, staring at the bed canopy above her.
She sighed and turned her head to look at Fang Jian. "A'jian?"
"Hm?"
"Does it still hurt?"
"It's healed already." Fang Jian knew what she was asking and answered softly, her head lowered.
Gao Yunqu fell silent again. With official duties set aside, she had to face Fang Jian directly. In this space with just the two of them, the atmosphere grew somewhat ambiguous, making Gao Yunqu's heart, for the first time in a long while, a tangled mess. She gathered her thoughts, weaving the words over and over in her mind before speaking hesitantly, "These past few days, I've been thinking about your question from that day..."
Fang Jian looked up at her, the affection in her eyes like water—long, deep, and no longer concealed. Gao Yunqu couldn't help but falter. She bit her lip and continued, "What I said before... those were just words spoken in anger. I didn't mean to cast you aside. I... was thinking... we should just be teacher and student... alright?" Her voice was extremely soft and gentle. She carefully posed the question to Fang Jian, cautiously probing, hoping to return everything to how it was. Between her and Fang Jian, one had always been superior and the other subordinate. This was the first time she had lowered herself to be Fang Jian's equal. She cared for Fang Jian, so she chose to yield. She had never imagined a day would come when she would show weakness.
But Fang Jian did not meet her expectations. She laughed softly and moved closer to Gao Yunqu. "But, Lord Gao, I never wanted to be your student."
The fire in her eyes burned Gao Yunqu, who actually shrank back a little. She regretted bringing up this topic now, but Fang Jian didn't let her retreat further. She gripped Gao Yunqu's wrist tightly, pulling herself close so her voice would be clearly heard. With a hint of mockery, she said to Gao Yunqu, "Lord Gao, what kind of teacher pins her student to the bed and plays with her? What kind of student spends her days fantasizing about her honored teacher?"
"You..." Gao Yunqu was stunned by her directness. She tried to pull her hand away but couldn't; Fang Jian's grip was too tight.
"Lord Gao, look at me and tell me," Fang Jian stared directly into her eyes, not letting her look away, "in the past eight years, over two thousand nine hundred days and nights, was there truly not a single moment your heart stirred for me? Do you... truly not want me?"
A chord was struck in Gao Yunqu's heart. She couldn't give a straightforward answer. After a long silence, she spoke with difficulty, "A'jian, do you really know what it means to be with me?"
Fang Jian replied decisively, "I don't need to know. I only know that everything I have was given to me by you. Without you, I might have ceased to exist back in Xilin County. At worst, I'll just give it all back.
"Besides, we are not related by blood, and our teacher-student relationship was never spoken of publicly. To outsiders, it would be nothing more than a romantic affair. What of it? Emperor Yongchu and Chancellor Jiang had an ambiguous relationship their entire lives, and it didn't stop them from being recorded in the annals of history."
Gao Yunqu sighed. "You could have had a grand marriage and a house full of children and grandchildren. What can you possibly have with me?"
"Then you shouldn't have provoked me in the first place!" Fang Jian roared in a suppressed voice, tears falling and striking Gao Yunqu's heart. She murmured through her sobs, "How can you provoke someone and then just cut things off? A person's heart is made of flesh. All my attachments have fallen upon you. When you cut them away with a knife, it truly hurts, Lord Gao."
Fang Jian saw Gao Yunqu's lips open and close, but she didn't hear a single word. A chest full of grief and indignation drove her to leap up, pin Gao Yunqu beneath her, and press her lips against hers.
For so, so long, in countless silent nights, in countless restless dreams, she had fantasized about the taste of Gao Yunqu, and it had finally become reality. She suppressed all of Gao Yunqu's struggles. Their lips met, cool like a bowl of ice on a sweltering summer day, refreshing to the core. She extended the tip of her tongue, gently tracing Gao Yunqu's lips. Unlike the roughness with which she held her down, her kiss was incomparably gentle, filled with deep affection. Through their close lips and tongues, she conveyed all the love and longing she had suppressed for years.
Gao Yunqu heard it. There was no dialogue, no sound, but Gao Yunqu heard it. Every word, utterly sincere. Everything Fang Jian hadn't said aloud, everything carved into her heart, she heard it all clearly. So she stopped struggling. She even felt a flicker of doubt—was she worthy? Worthy of being cherished so dearly, treated so gently by Fang Jian?
Fang Jian sensed her softening and, pressing her advantage, pried open her teeth and slipped her tongue inside. Tongue met tongue, and heart met heart. This was not their first deep kiss, but it was the first time they had laid their hearts completely bare to one another.
Gao Yunqu responded to her.
Fang Jian's heart, soaked in a surge of joy, grew even softer. She greedily drank in Gao Yunqu, their tongues tangling, their breathing growing heavier. Such softness, such warmth, made her sink completely into the moment, losing track of day and night, of the seasons. In her eyes, there was only Gao Yunqu, and she wanted to make Gao Yunqu lose her mind for her.
Her assault was fierce, and Gao Yunqu had some difficulty enduring it. She couldn't help but embrace her, a small sound escaping her throat, which only excited Fang Jian more. Her hand touched Gao Yunqu's waist, deftly untying the sash. It slipped inside her inner garment, pressing against the soft flesh of her waist. Her gentle caress made Gao Yunqu tremble. This was a Gao Yunqu she had never seen before, so alluring, so fragile. The passion that colored her furrowed brow delighted Fang Jian. She could finally confirm that Gao Yunqu was the same as her; they shared the same love, and thus the same anxieties.
Her hand caressed every part of Gao Yunqu, the places she had fantasized about, the places hidden beneath layers of clothing that no one knew. Every touch made her tremble. She cupped Gao Yunqu's plump breast, the full flesh fitting perfectly in her palm. She kneaded it gently and heard Gao Yunqu's soft nasal sound. She teased the pearl at its peak with her thumb, and after just a few strokes, the jade bead stood erect. She lowered her head to lick it, hearing Gao Yunqu's muffled groan as she bit down, trying to endure.
All of this was far more thrilling than she had ever imagined. She enveloped the nipple with her lips, soothing the hard pearl. Her hand, however, delved down into her undergarments, capturing the pearl below to tease between her fingertips. Gao Yunqu couldn't bear it and embraced her, trembling. She felt the strength of Gao Yunqu's embrace and, satisfied, continued her teasing. Her fingertips touched slick wetness. She traced circles at the entrance, coaxing more sounds from Gao Yunqu.
She leaned down and whispered laughingly in Gao Yunqu's ear, "Lord Gao, you're aroused. Teacher and student? Does a teacher get aroused by her student?"
Gao Yunqu's body grew hot with rising desire. Fang Jian's words made her defenses crumble completely. She tightened her arms around Fang Jian, burying her face in her neck in a silent invitation.
Fang Jian held her with one arm, while her other hand pressed against the sensitive peak, rubbing it quickly. Gao Yunqu's body tensed, desire rushing out like water from an opened floodgate, no longer concealable. She gasped for air, the intense pleasure making her lose herself, a bit of moisture spilling from the corner of her eye. Fang Jian pressed her cheek against her scalding one and gently licked away the tear at the corner of her eye. But her knee pressed against the base of her thigh, forcing her closed legs apart. Her fingers found the opening and, aided by the wetness, pushed deep inside.
"Ngh..." It didn't hurt, but the feeling of being deeply entered, of being pushed open and filled, was utterly foreign. The passage tightened in a panic, clenching around her fingers.
"Lord Gao, relax..." Fang Jian's ambiguous voice washed over Gao Yunqu's ear. Annoyed, Gao Yunqu tugged her ear. Fang Jian chuckled softly, rubbing against Gao Yunqu's temple as her fingers began to move, making Gao Yunqu's breath catch. She was beginning to understand why Gao Yunqu liked to do this with her. Every caress, every knead, every thrust could draw out an expression from Gao Yunqu that was never seen during the day. Her breathing was in sync with her own movements—how could one's heart not be moved?
"Lord Gao, do you miss me? Have you thought of me all these years? And when you did, how did you find relief?" Fang Jian's hands didn't stop, and neither did her words.
Overwhelmed by pleasure, Gao Yunqu couldn't form a complete sentence, managing only broken phrases between gasps, "...Who... taught you this... nonsense..."
Fang Jian's soft laughter fell on Gao Yunqu's ears and into her heart, making it itch. "It was you..."
"Ngh... Mmm..." Gao Yunqu held her head and kissed her, letting herself sink completely into the overwhelming desire.
The candle that night burned out just as dawn was breaking. But the sky was already light, so it didn't matter that the candle was gone.
Having tasted the marrow, Fang Jian knew its flavor, and she released all the desire she had suppressed for years. At first, Gao Yunqu tried to take back the initiative, but she failed. Fang Jian would look at her with tear-filled eyes, making her heart soften, and then she would be pinned down and not let go. Gao Yunqu went from being an equal match to being unable to push her away, clinging to Fang Jian limply and letting her do as she pleased.
As she was once again pushed to a peak by waves of pleasure, she gritted her teeth and said to Fang Jian, "Ngh... A'jian... A'jian... isn't it enough yet... ah..."
Fang Jian lightly licked the fine beads of sweat on her neck and answered indistinctly, "It's what you owe me, Lord Gao..."
"You... ngh..." Gao Yunqu's brows knitted tightly, almost unable to hold back a moan.
"Why don't you beg me, Lord Gao?"
"Get lost..."
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