A Pawn's Passage

The three Second Deputies arrived at Taishang Place and headed straight for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu’s new residence.

Although the three were influential figures within their respective Daoist Mansions, here in Taishang Place, they were nothing particularly special.

This area was naturally prime territory, the foremost neighborhood of the Daoist Order. Due to its prestige, the neighbors were far from ordinary.

The front gate of Princess Xuanzhen Mansion was directly across from the backyard of Xu Dacheng, the Huasheng Hall Master. Just one street away from the mansion’s garden was Li Changge’s residence, whose neighbor was Li Changsheng. Despite their large age difference, they were considered cousins within the family. To the left of the mansion was the home of the Tianji Hall Master, while to the right was the Yongzhou Mansion Master, who spent most of his time in Yongzhou, so the house remained empty for much of the year. Diagonally across the street was the home of Yao Shu, the Poluo Daoist Mansion Master and Qi Xuansu’s partner. Of course, Yao Shu was also usually absent, residing in Thanglong Prefecture, though his family remained in Jade Capital, so the house was not empty.

Du Yuhua’s former Daoist companion, Du Fuzhou’s father, lived nearby in a residence purchased by Du Fuzhou’s grandfather. Now that Du Fuzhou had come to Jade Capital to join his father, he was living in the ancestral home.

To put it bluntly, this was an area densely populated by Omniscient Sages. Even those who were not Omniscient Sages held significant backgrounds and had many connections to such figures. Thus, managing neighborly relations here was no trivial matter.

There was no room for arrogance here, but there was also no need to act submissively either. The fact that Qi Xuansu could purchase such a residence already showed his strength. Sooner or later, he would stand on equal footing with these Omniscient Sages, especially since Zhang Yuelu also lived here.

Those who lived here were well-informed and well-connected, so they would not stir up trouble for themselves.

Besides, the top-tier circle was actually quite small. Through various connections, everyone was linked—former superiors, subordinates, colleagues, teachers, relatives, and friends.

When the three women arrived at the main gate, Xu Jiaorong pointed at the empty space above the doorway and asked, “What plaque are you planning to hang?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “We’re waiting for the Heavenly Preceptor’s calligraphy. He promised to write us something, but there’s been no news for so long that I feel awkward urging him. There’s still time, so there’s no rush.”

Lei Xiaohuan joked. “Qing Xiao, given your relationship with the Heavenly Preceptor, you should ask for several pieces of calligraphy. It’s best if you can even finalize the hall name as well.”

A family’s hall name could be based on a place of residence, ancestral virtues, or the principles by which the family prospered. For example, the Zhang family’s hall name was “Shangqing,” so they were simply known as the Shangqing Zhangs.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had effectively established their own household, so they would need a hall name of their own.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had discussed this before, but they had yet to reach a decision.

Zhang Yuelu had promised the main branch of the Zhang family that any children she bore would not carry the Zhang last name. That way, they could avoid excessive entanglement with the Zhang family.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were settling in Jade Capital, but they could not exactly hang a plaque that read “Jade Capital” in the hall.

As for ancestral origin, Qi Xuansu did not even know where he was born. He only knew he had grown up in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. For the same reasons as Jade Capital, he also could not use the “Wanxiang Daoist Palace” as a hall name.

Ancestral virtues were even more far-fetched. Qi Xuansu did not even know who his ancestors were, so how could he find their virtues? The closest figure he had to an ancestor might be Madam Qi, but when had she ever possessed virtues? If greed, stinginess, and cunning counted as virtues, then perhaps she had plenty. Even tracing Madam Qi’s lineage back to Elder Yao, Elder Yao might have great achievements, but her virtues were rather lacking.

That left only the principles for prospering the household. Truthfully, what Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu wanted to accomplish might strengthen the Daoist Order, but certainly not their family. If Zhang Yuelu actually succeeded, it would be a miracle that no one in her family sought revenge afterward.

Therefore, Zhang Yuelu hoped the Heavenly Preceptor would decide for them. Regardless of whether it suited their tastes, it would be better than their own indecision.

Zhang Yuelu invited the two deputies into her new mansion, focusing on the completed sections, like their respective studies, the living room, Little Yin’s small courtyard, and so on. This was precisely why renovations had taken so long. Most households needed only one study, but Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu required one each. Many other features were also duplicated, disrupting the original layout and necessitating complete replanning.

At present, the mansion felt rather empty without any attendants, making it unsuitable for entertaining guests. After giving them a brief tour, Zhang Yuelu led the two to her old home in Taishang Place instead.

Compared to Qi Xuansu’s large estate, Zhang Yuelu’s residence in Taishang Place was much smaller and not new. The Zhang family had originally given this property to Zhang Yuyue, who later transferred it to Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu also had a much larger dowry residence, currently unused and still being tidied. Its purpose was largely to preserve the Zhang family’s dignity, demonstrating that they did not take advantage of their in-laws. Additionally, it could serve as a separate place for Zhang Yuelu to stay if the couple ever quarreled. Though given their circumstances, it was unlikely to come to that.

The three women began chatting casually over tea. Soon, they were discussing everyday domestic matters.

Xu Jiaorong said, “Have you heard? Zheng Jiaohe’s Daoist companion has remarried.”

Zheng Jiaohe had been a Deputy Mansion Master of Poluo and a direct subordinate of Wang Jiaohe. After the case came to light, and he faced investigation, Zheng Jiaohe chose to commit suicide with a gun. Xu Jiaorong had handled his case at the time.

Ordinarily, remarriage after a husband’s death was nothing unusual. But the identity of her new spouse was particularly intriguing.

Lei Xiaohuan had also heard of Zheng Jiaohe and asked casually, “She’s not that old, and she still has a long life ahead of her, so remarrying makes sense. Who did she marry?”

Xu Jiaorong said, “She married one of Zheng Jiaohe’s former subordinates.”

Lei Xiaohuan could not help but pause in surprise.

Xu Jiaorong continued, “Apparently, that woman still has some property that wasn’t confiscated. Whoever married her would gain quite a windfall. Zheng Jiaohe also has a daughter, so she’ll have a new father now.”

Lei Xiaohuan sighed. “Oh, the unseen sacrifices.”

Xu Jiaorong said, “By the way, didn’t a Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master die a few years ago? I think his name is Zhang Juquan.”

Lei Xiaohuan glanced at Zhang Yuelu and answered, “Yes, that did happen. Zhang Juquan ‘committed suicide’ while under investigation. He had several lovers, and after his death, one of them married his secretary.”

Xu Jiaorong said, “A secretary doesn’t just assist their superior with official matters. They also handle personal affairs. If it’s a man and a woman, it’s easy for things to become intimate. Even if not, they’re often more attentive than a biological child and know many secrets. Zhang Juquan’s secretary must have used that advantage to win her over.”

All three of them employed female secretaries, so they had no need to feel awkward discussing such matters.

Lei Xiaohuan could not help but ask, “What about Zhang Juquan’s Daoist companion?”

Zhang Yuelu finally spoke. “She didn’t remarry. Although the Daoist Order has become more civilized, tradition still holds a strong influence, and the Zhang family is rather conservative in this regard. Many elders wouldn’t want the family reputation damaged. Besides, she also didn’t want to remarry. After all, bearing the title of a Zhang family daughter-in-law still grants her status within the family, and ordinary people wouldn’t dare bully her. If they did, the Zhang family would intervene. That’s far better than marrying someone else. Though I’ve heard a few down-and-out members of the Li family have set their sights on her, hoping to provoke the Zhang family.”

Lei Xiaohuan sighed. “Do you think Zhang Juquan and Zheng Jiaohe regret it? They traded their lives for power, desire, and wealth, but in the end, they lost everything. Even their wives and children became someone else’s.”

Zhang Yuelu said bluntly, “Perhaps they regret it, but not for chasing fame and profit. They regret choosing the wrong side.”

The three soon turned to the main topic. Lei Xiaohuan said, “At the joint council meeting earlier, it sounded like Sage Qingwei intended to appoint the current Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master as a regional Palace Master, then select a new Chief Deputy Hall Master to personally lead the operations in the New Continent. Who do you think has the best chance?”

Xu Jiaorong hesitated. “There aren’t many who meet the criteria. Could it be Chief Deputy Qi?”

Zhang Yuelu replied after some thought, “That’s possible.”