Chapter 89: Extra · Reunion
(This follows the second BE route, "Divergent Paths," and is a HE "what if" for that BE, a "broken mirror mended" storyline.)
When Gao Yunqu awoke, her mind was still muddled. Her consciousness was stuck on the argument she'd had with Fang Jian during the minor court session on the second day of the month. Having lost Hu Dayou's support, she found herself clashing with Fang Jian more and more frequently. She always felt that Fang Jian had gone astray and kept trying to pull her back, but Fang Jian was ungrateful. She was still feeling gloomy after court when Fang Jian stopped her, saying she had arranged a banquet and invited her for a private meeting. So she went. There was some dispute during the meal, and then she lost consciousness.
She hadn't had such a long, peaceful sleep in a long time. When she opened her eyes, she even felt a little reluctant to let it go. But then she became aware of her current situation and was instantly wide awake. She was lying on an unfamiliar bed, her hands and feet spread out and tied to the headboard and footboard, completely restrained. Her clothes were still neat. The room was lit by a single dim, yellow lamp, not very bright. She moved her limbs; they were tied securely, and she couldn't break free for the moment. So she stopped struggling, and her sluggish mind began to turn.
The door creaked open, interrupting her thoughts. Like a startled bird, she arched her body and turned her head to look. As expected, she saw Fang Jian.
Fang Jian closed the door, walked in, and brightened the lamp. Her delicate features emerged from the shadows. This face, so incredibly familiar to Gao Yunqu, now seemed utterly strange.
Gao Yunqu said nothing. Fang Jian approached, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at Gao Yunqu, her gaze as gentle as in a dream.
"What time is it?" Gao Yunqu didn't rush to anger, asking this first.
"Around nine in the evening," Fang Jian replied. "My lord, you've slept for quite a while. How long has it been since you've had a proper rest?"
"A while?" Gao Yunqu hesitated. She remembered accepting Fang Jian's invitation around sunset. It had been one or two hours at most. How could that be considered a while?
Fang Jian gave a faint smile. "My lord, today is the third."
"What?" Gao Yunqu was so shocked she tried to sit up, but the ropes held her back. "I've been absent for a day?"
"Don't worry, my lord. I submitted a note saying you were ill." It had been a long time since Fang Jian had spoken to her so pleasantly. With a smile, she spoke each sentence slowly, as if savoring this brief moment of warmth.
Gao Yunqu laughed in anger, retorting sarcastically, "Heh, did I teach you calligraphy so you could forge my signature? Why don't you write my resignation memorial for me while you're at it?"
Fang Jian wasn't annoyed. She smiled. "If my lord wishes, Jian can do that as well."
"Shut up," Gao Yunqu cursed, returning to her current predicament. "You drugged me?"
"Just a little sleeping draught. I didn't expect you to sleep for a whole day," Fang Jian admitted frankly, then asked again, "How long has it been since you've slept peacefully?"
Gao Yunqu didn't answer, glaring at her before asking, "I didn't return last night, and Gao Yuan didn't come looking for me?" Gao Yuan now mostly managed the household affairs for her. She usually took other young attendants with her when she went out, but if she didn't return for the night without a word, Gao Yuan would certainly not ignore it.
"I had Xiuzhu go and tell her you were with me, that you'd be back after celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival with me. I told her to keep the household in order, that making a scene would be bad for everyone." Starting tomorrow, there would be a four-day holiday for the festival. Fang Jian knew she was in the wrong and lowered her voice.
Gao Yunqu gritted her teeth in anger, wanting to kill both Gao Yuan and Xiuzhu. But she also knew that their complicated relationship was hard to explain. Gao Yuan was in a difficult position, afraid of making things worse. She endured it and asked again, "Then may I ask, Lord Fang, what do you intend to do by tying me up here?"
"I... I want to have a proper talk with you..." Fang Jian was uncharacteristically shy.
Gao Yunqu sneered, "Tying me up is what you call a proper talk? Untie me!"
"No, I'm not as strong as you," Fang Jian said, shaking her head.
"Are you afraid I'll hit you?" Gao Yunqu glanced at her sideways.
"Yes, I'm afraid." But there was no fear in Fang Jian's expression; she was as gentle as if nothing had happened. "I'm also afraid that you won't want to hit me."
The Fang Jian that Gao Yunqu had seen in recent years was mostly thorny. She looked gentle, but the needles within were all aimed at Gao Yunqu. A single touch would draw blood, hurting them both. She had rarely seen such a peaceful Fang Jian. But tragically, at this moment, she didn't feel relieved; instead, she suspected an ulterior motive. She sighed inwardly, suppressing a myriad of feelings, and said, "What do you want to say? Go on, I'm listening."
"My lord, why did you cast me aside?" Fang Jian didn't look at her, her questioning voice extremely soft, but Gao Yunqu heard it.
She was silent for a long while before saying, "I paved the road for you. Why were you unwilling to walk it?"
"Is my lord angry? Because I wasn't obedient?" Fang Jian kicked off her shoes, drew her feet onto the bed, hugged her knees with her arms, and rested her cheek on them, looking sideways at Gao Yunqu.
"No. There's nothing wrong with you walking your own path." Gao Yunqu could hardly remember the last time they had spoken so openly, or perhaps they never had. "But A'jian, do you really know where you're going? To the highest official rank? To become a powerful minister or chancellor?"
"You're right, I don't know," Fang Jian replied softly. "My lord, I'm in so much pain. I thought if I walked faster, you would see me, but you treat me like an enemy."
Gao Yunqu laughed instead of getting angry. "When you stabbed me in the heart, did you think I wouldn't feel pain? You were so decisive then, and only now you're reflecting on it?"
"You were the one who cast me aside first," Fang Jian frowned, pouting. "Why? You clearly have feelings for me."
"I..." Gao Yunqu was at a loss for words. She had pushed Fang Jian away to protect her, but Fang Jian hadn't taken that smooth, unobstructed path. What was all this now? Today's Fang Jian was too abnormal. Was this a peace offering? A show of weakness? After years of fighting, Fang Jian was no longer the weak youth anyone could manipulate. She was a venomous snake, and Gao Yunqu never knew when she might be bitten. She had suffered more than once. Hu Dayou's dismissal, Dai Yao's transfer to a provincial post—all her protégés and old friends had been suppressed. Over the years, Gao Yunqu had become isolated at court. She was still the high and mighty Minister of Personnel, but she had never been so lonely. And now, Fang Jian had tied her up to talk about the past? How could she dare to believe it! She forced herself to remain calm and said, "You tied me up just to talk about this?"
"If my lord doesn't want to hear it, then forget it." Fang Jian revealed an innocent smile. "Then what about Lord Zhou Hui's life? Do you want it?"
"Fang Jian!" Gao Yunqu was furious. Because of their struggle, Zhou Hui had been implicated and transferred to Fengzhou. She was an upright and honest person who couldn't tolerate injustice. "How dare you!"
"Don't be anxious, my lord. It's not me who's going to make a move against her, although I am jealous of her." Fang Jian was still smiling.
"You..." Gao Yunqu stared at her smile, stunned.
"My lord wants to ask why I'm jealous of her?" Fang Jian's eyes curved. "The things you taught me, you also taught her... I can't be your good student with a clear conscience, but she can... I can't walk the same path as you, but she can be by your side... How could I not be jealous?"
Gao Yunqu said nothing.
Fang Jian continued, "Rest assured, my lord, I haven't lost my mind to the point of stabbing a loyal official. This is news that was passed up to me from below."
"What?"
"You should know that Her Majesty has already decided on the Cadastral Survey. The first place to feel the blade will be Fengzhou."
Gao Yunqu had guessed the former, but she didn't know where it would start. Fang Jian, however, already knew.
"You must be wondering why you don't know. It's because Her Majesty deliberately bypassed you. I guess it's to protect you. Her Majesty holds you in deep affection." There was a subtle meaning in Fang Jian's words. "This news isn't exactly top secret. Fengzhou is a powder keg right now; a single spark could set it off. Tell me, with Lord Zhou's personality, could she become that spark? My people wanted to watch the tigers fight from a safe distance and reap the benefits, but I thought, you certainly wouldn't want Lord Zhou to perish there. So, here I am, having a little chat with you."
"Just like this?" Gao Yunqu's anger subsided. She tugged at the rope on her wrist, her eyes full of displeasure.
"I invited you to a banquet, and you cursed at me. I had no choice but to resort to this." Fang Jian looked aggrieved.
Gao Yunqu sneered, "What a coincidence that it's the Dragon Boat Festival, what a coincidence that you had a sleeping draught ready. What a fine 'last resort.' Fang Jian, you're really something."
Fang Jian acted as if she hadn't heard, continuing to talk about Zhou Hui. "Fengzhou is where the clan power is most entrenched. There are no particularly large magnate families, but every single one is difficult to deal with. That's why we chose Fengzhou. Her Majesty is thinking of imitating the old affair in Chuzhou. The gentry clans are also making preparations on two fronts: if they can stop it, they will; if they can't, they'll set Fengzhou ablaze and flip the whole game board. Lord Zhou, heh, she's so easily used... My lord, am I right?"
"Mmm..." Gao Yunqu pondered as well, having to admit that Fang Jian was right. Zhou Hui was upright and dutiful, but she lacked strategic thinking and couldn't see that far ahead.
"So, my lord, how about I get Lord Zhou out of there for you?"
Gao Yunqu suddenly felt a sense of unease. She asked tentatively, "What do you want?"
Fang Jian smiled and tilted her head. "You."
"I want you to sleep with me again."
Gao Yunqu felt as if she had heard something ridiculous. She burst out laughing until tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't wipe them away, letting them slide down into her hair. When she had laughed enough, she spread her limbs, lying flat, and asked Fang Jian, "Fine, fine. May I ask, Lord Fang, are you sleeping with me, or am I sleeping with you?"
Fang Jian, however, showed some embarrassment, pointing at Gao Yunqu and then at herself. "You... me..."
Gao Yunqu sneered, "Then what are you waiting for? Untie me!"
Fang Jian obediently complied. As soon as Gao Yunqu was free, she flipped over, grabbed Fang Jian by the neck, and pinned her to the bed. They were extremely close. A dangerous glint flashed in Gao Yunqu's eyes. For a fleeting moment, she truly wanted to tighten her fingers and strangle Fang Jian right there on the bed.
Fang Jian instinctively clutched at the hand on her throat. She couldn't get enough air, her face flushing red, her features contorted in pain, and her eyes shimmered with tiny tears. It would be good to end things at my lord's hands, a thought flashed through the chaos in her mind.
Seeing her fragile appearance, Gao Yunqu's heart ached, and she released her grip. Fang Jian, granted life again, curled up in pain, coughing until tears came.
"You're really not afraid I'll strangle you." Gao Yunqu knelt on the bed, looking down at her.
Fang Jian didn't speak, just offered a gentle smile.
But Gao Yunqu was enraged once more. She roughly pressed down on her, tearing open Fang Jian's clothes.
The natural heat of her body mixed with a faint scent of incense washed over her face. Her eyes were crimson, as if she too were about to cry. She gritted her teeth, quickly undid Fang Jian's clothes, and tossed them aside. Her hand went straight down. Her heart was filled with a rage that had nowhere to go. She thrust two fingers straight inside.
"Ah!" Fang Jian hadn't been touched in a long time, and the sudden entry of two fingers was painfully stretching. She instinctively struggled, but Gao Yunqu held her down, immobilizing her. Gao Yunqu's thumb kneaded the small nub outside, stirring Fang Jian's desire. Even after so many years, Gao Yunqu's instincts still remembered how to make Fang Jian quickly fall into the cage of desire.
The tone of Fang Jian's moans slowly changed, her struggles turning into clinging.
Gao Yunqu didn't want her to fall into ecstasy just like that. She leaned down and bit into the flesh of her shoulder, moving from her shoulder to her breast to her abdomen. She was so filled with hatred that she returned it all to Fang Jian.
Fang Jian was in great pain, her eyes brimming with tears, yet desire still coursed through her.
Gao Yunqu suddenly stopped her hands and said coldly, "Don't cry. Don't ruin my mood."
So Fang Jian tried hard to hold back her tears, her passage shamelessly clenching around Gao Yunqu's fingers again and again. Gao Yunqu pumped her fingers, but only felt an unprecedented emptiness. Her hand grew rougher, thrusting in and out with force, her grip on Fang Jian's body using all her strength. Fang Jian's low moans only incited her to plunder more violently.
Sexual desire inherently carries a violent instinct. If it is love, one restrains it. If it is hate, one unleashes it.
Gao Yunqu had never been so unrestrained. She vented all her anger on Fang Jian, sending her to her peak again and again.
As dawn was breaking, Gao Yunqu rose from the bed, picked up her clothes, and draped them over herself. She looked back at Fang Jian, who was covered in purple bruises, lying prone on the bed, struggling to breathe evenly.
Gao Yunqu looked at her wretched state. Her right hand, hidden in her sleeve, heavily ground her thumb against her other two fingertips. The words that came out, however, were incomparably cold. "Lord Fang, are you satisfied?"
Fang Jian turned her head to look at her, her voice hoarse, but her lips still held a smile. "Satisfied."
"Hmph," Gao Yunqu flicked her sleeve and turned away, her back to Fang Jian. "Then Lord Fang had better keep her promise."
Fang Jian struggled to prop herself up and called out, "My lord, are you interested in making another deal with me?"
Gao Yunqu turned back, staring at her, her anger simmering but unreleased.
Fang Jian said, "My lord, Fengzhou is not a remote frontier like Chuzhou. It is the most prosperous and stable prefecture in the Great Zhou, the most significant part of our tax revenue. It cannot be thrown into chaos. My lord, do I think the same as you?"
Gao Yunqu was noncommittal. Fang Jian continued, "The Cadastral Survey is imperative, but if it's done recklessly, the current peace and prosperity will collapse in an instant. Is my lord willing to join forces with me?"
Though it was a question, it struck at Gao Yunqu's weakness. Gao Yunqu was beginning to understand Fang Jian's underlying meaning. She narrowed her eyes and looked back. "What do you want?"
Fang Jian rolled over, lying on her back on the bed, and looked up at the canopy with a smile. "On the fourth and ninth of every month, come to my place."
"You really... don't know when to quit." Gao Yunqu gave her no response, flicking her sleeve and leaving.
Outside the courtyard gate, Xiuzhu and Gao Yuan were waiting on either side. When they saw her emerge, they both bowed to her in greeting.
Gao Yunqu glanced at Xiuzhu and snorted coldly, then turned to Gao Yuan, who didn't dare to look at her.
She said coldly, "What are you doing here?"
Before Gao Yuan could answer, Xiuzhu spoke up. "Steward Gao arrived the night before last. She was about to force her way in, but I stopped her. I was afraid a commotion would attract attention, so I persuaded Steward Gao to wait here quietly with me." The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost freezing. Xiuzhu trembled slightly under Gao Yunqu's oppressive presence.
"Did I ask you?" Gao Yunqu's gaze was like a knife, flaying Xiuzhu with a look before turning back to Gao Yuan.
Gao Yuan decisively knelt, her forehead touching the ground. "For failing to protect my master, this servant deserves ten thousand deaths."
"Get back and receive your punishment." Gao Yunqu let out a breath, looked up at the sky. The sky was turning white, the most chaotic time before dawn. The sun had not yet fully risen, and the air was still a bit cool. Gao Yunqu tightened her collar and strode away.
Fang Jian had indeed grasped Gao Yunqu's weakness. She truly couldn't bear to see the favorable situation she had painstakingly built collapse overnight. She sent a letter to Zhou Hui and went to see Wei Qi, but Wei Qi wouldn't listen to her advice. Wei Qi intended to protect her and didn't want her to get too involved, kindly advising her not to worry about it and just focus on managing the civil service. Walking out of Yong'an Palace, Gao Yunqu finally realized that the key to breaking this deadlock lay with Fang Jian.
On the ninth day of the fifth month, Gao Yunqu once again appeared at Fang Jian's door.
Fang Jian knew she would come. She was wearing only her middle garments, leaning against the bed. Gao Yunqu was angry and, without a word, got on the bed and pinned Fang Jian down. She wasn't gentle, but she did her best to satisfy Fang Jian, with only one condition: Fang Jian was not allowed to cry. Fang Jian was extremely obedient, enduring the torment no matter how painful, and held back her tears.
The next day was a rest day. Fang Jian opened her study to Gao Yunqu. Information that had been deliberately cut off from her flowed back into her hands. The once-foggy distance suddenly became clear. Only then did she realize how far Fang Jian had gone. Fang Jian had used Wei Qi's power to cut off Gao Yunqu's eyes and ears, luring her step by step into this cage, and then laid everything bare for her to see. She didn't know whether to curse Fang Jian for her cunning or praise her for her frankness.
Fang Jian pretended not to know and began discussing the situation in Fengzhou with her. They discussed it all day, even having their meals in the study. Fang Jian could keep up with everything Gao Yunqu said, and could guess what Gao Yunqu hadn't said. Gao Yunqu, in turn, could quickly grasp the meaning behind Fang Jian's words. The discussion was between equals, a perfect match. That kind of tacit understanding, that kind of synchronicity, was both exhilarating and a dull ache in her heart. Why couldn't they stand side by side?
By the time they finished talking, it was already dark. Fang Jian looked at Gao Yunqu, a hint of expectation in her eyes, but Gao Yunqu didn't respond. She bid a polite and distant farewell and left the residence without a second thought.
For a period after that, Gao Yunqu dutifully kept her appointments on the fourth and ninth of each month. Now she had become Fang Jian's little lover. As their plans and strategies progressed, her anger slowly dissipated in their frank exchanges. She found that she was getting to know Fang Jian all over again. The former Fang Jian was her student, someone who needed her guidance. But the current Fang Jian stood at the opposite end of the court, a colleague with whom she could conspire. They had finally reached the same level. It had to be said, this Fang Jian was full of appeal.
As her anger faded, she became much gentler with Fang Jian in bed. At first, she would always leave Fang Jian covered in bruises, but gradually she softened, no longer seeking pleasure through venting and torment, but immersing herself in the flowing warmth. She was surprised to find that her feelings for Fang Jian had never diminished for a single day. They were merely hidden. After just a few instances of skin touching skin, of hearts beating in unison, they began to sprout eagerly in her heart.
Finally, one day, Fang Jian was no longer passive. She reached out and embraced Gao Yunqu, flipping over to press her down, her fingers finding the gushing spring and offering gentle comfort. Gao Yunqu tacitly allowed it, closing her eyes to enjoy the long-overdue passion.
They joined forces to lay a trap in Fengzhou, persuading Wei Qi to appoint them to go to Fengzhou together to oversee the New Policies of the Cadastral Survey, with Gao Yunqu as the head and Fang Jian as her deputy. Those were years of working together with one heart. The gentry of Fengzhou were far more cunning than the magnates of Chuzhou. They faced countless difficulties and had their moments of defeat. At their most difficult time, they were besieged in the yamen by a mob and had to draw their swords to personally guard the main gate. They stood back to back, entrusting their rears to each other. They should have always had that kind of trust. But fate had played a cruel joke. For all those past years, they had been like strangers, treating each other as enemies. They had missed out on so much, but thankfully, it wasn't too late. They held out for a night until reinforcements arrived. When the chaos was quelled, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaning on their swords and slumping to the ground, resting against each other.
Fang Jian looked at the mess outside, gently bumped her head against Gao Yunqu's back, licked her lips, and said hesitantly, "My lord, if I were to say now that I have loved you deeply since I was nineteen, and want to spend the rest of my life with you... would it be too late? Do I still have the right?"
Gao Yunqu was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "You do."
"Then what is your answer?"
Gao Yunqu raised her head. The sky was bright, and the morning birds chirped as they flew over the yamen, full of life. She held a smile and answered her, "Alright."
Author's Notes
"Don't cry, don't ruin my mood" = "Don't cry, or my heart will soften."
The Fengzhou in this route is the Chuzhou of the main storyline, representing the ten years they missed. The Cadastral Survey in the main storyline will be more peaceful and less risky because Gao Yunqu is keeping Fang Jian in check, and Wei Qi is not as radical. It will only serve as a stepping stone for Fang Jian to achieve a high official rank.
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