Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 50 A Deep Bond Between Husband and Wife

Bai Shandian gave a bitter smile and said, "Back then, His Majesty had a purpose in sending me to marry into the Xiang family in Jiangnan, to be a live-in son-in-law! Of course, that purpose is no longer a secret. To investigate whether the Xiang family was secretly possessing a handwritten copy of the 'Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World,' I went to great lengths. Not only did I pretend to develop a real relationship with Xiang Quan, but I also won over all the family members and servants in the mansion, striving to gain their strong support so that I could complete my mission as soon as possible and return to the capital to report back. Unexpectedly, several years have passed, and I haven't found a single clue. How could the Xiang family have deceived His Majesty? Not only is there no trace of the 'Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World,' but I haven't even heard a single disrespectful word spoken to His Majesty! It's just that my wife, Xiang Quan, often studies martial arts with the six hall masters of her sect, and has written a book about her martial arts experiences." "And it's called 'The Complete Book of Martial Arts,' which provides detailed descriptions of the martial arts of various schools in the martial arts world..." Emperor Qianlong, being exceptionally astute, grew increasingly displeased as he listened, and finally couldn't bear it any longer. He roared in anger, "Bai Shandian! What exactly are you trying to say?" Bai Shandian respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, have you read the second volume of 'The Complete Book of Martial Arts'?" Qianlong retorted angrily, "Are you deliberately trying to provoke me? I haven't even seen this book, how can I claim to have read it?" Bai Shandian smiled faintly and countered, "Since Your Majesty hasn't read this book, how can you so readily conclude that it's the nemesis of the first volume of 'The Complete Book of Martial Arts'?" Qianlong, as the ruler of the nation, was speechless for a moment. After a brief silence, he blurted out, "This... this is merely my own conjecture."

"Arbitration?" Bai Shandian's words were quite vehement, as he was somewhat agitated. "Because of your momentary arbitrariness, the elderly couple, Grand Secretaries of our Great Qing Dynasty, died one after another in a single day, living in constant fear! Because of your momentary arbitrariness, the four fierce villains from beyond the Great Wall, second-rank masters of our Imperial Palace, led their troops into the Xiang residence to cause trouble, and were all killed! And because of your momentary arbitrariness, on this ominous day of a grand funeral, you want to arrest the only surviving master of the Xiang residence, Xiang Quan, on trumped-up charges! Your Majesty, we are all loyal and obedient subjects under your command, why do you have to do this? Even if you really want to arrest someone, you should wait until you find the 'Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World,' read it carefully, and then draw a conclusion!" Qianlong was speechless. In front of so many people, he truly regretted that he had not considered things thoroughly at the time, leading to a hasty conclusion and almost causing an even greater bloodshed! He was not one of those tyrannical and incompetent rulers in history; "to err is human, to forgive divine" had always been his strength. He immediately made a decision and announced to everyone: "Bai Shandian, effective immediately, you are ordered to immediately investigate the whereabouts of the Mo Qing Society bandits and strive to retrieve the second volume of the *Complete Book of Jianghu* as soon as possible!" Bai Shandian was overjoyed upon hearing this and happily knelt down, kowtowing to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty is wise! Long live the Emperor!"

"Xiang Quan!" Emperor Qianlong turned and stared at Xiang Quan's cold gaze, speaking sternly, "As the mistress of the Xiang Mansion in Jiangnan, and the wife of Minister Bai, the Imperial Envoy of the Court, you have shown utter disregard for propriety and the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. Furthermore, you failed to stop the fighting within your mansion, allowing your subordinates to kill several officials of my court. In conclusion, for all these crimes, you are hereby imprisoned in Hangzhou Prison for further trial. Once the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' is recovered and the details of the case are investigated, you will be punished accordingly!" After hearing this... Bai Shandian was terrified and hurriedly knelt down again, kowtowing, wanting to beg for the emperor's favor once more. Unexpectedly, Xiang Quan rushed over and grabbed him, coldly scolding, "Stand up! A man's knees are worth gold! A real man should stand tall and upright, honorable and upright. He kneels only to heaven, earth, and his own parents! Don't let your knees buckle before your master! Do you know that a person must live with dignity! He must be self-reliant! Otherwise, he will be looked down upon!" Bai Shandian was speechless for a moment. He secretly glanced around and saw everyone giving his wife a thumbs-up in praise. His face flushed red. But his heart was warm… he felt the strength of everyone around him.

Xuanwu walked up to Xiangquan and suddenly struck, lightning-fast seizing her pulse point. He pointed his halberd finger at her temple! Bai Shandian whispered, "Brother, please give my wife some dignity. Don't tie her up like that." Xuanwu was indeed loyal; he withdrew his finger from her temple and only tapped her Jianjing and Zhangmen acupoints twice. Xiangquan immediately felt weak all over, unable to muster any strength. She allowed him to tie her wrists behind her back and bring her behind Qianlong.

"Master—" Wing Chun, having regained his strength, rushed over to save Xiang Quan, but was sternly rebuked: "Don't act recklessly! The case is still unclear, the court won't do anything to me! And don't interfere in my affairs anymore, lest you get implicated! Living your own lives well is the most important thing!" Wing Chun's nose stung, tears streaming down his face, and he choked out, "Master, you stood up for us servants, taking all the blame upon yourself. How can we be at peace with ourselves?" Hung Quan and the other fists also stepped forward, tearfully bidding farewell to their master. White Lightning also wanted to come forward and bid Xiang Quan a reluctant farewell. Emperor Qianlong's face darkened, and he roared, "Bai Shandian, I'm giving you three days to retrieve the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'! If you haven't retrieved it by then, you need not return to see me! Your wife, Xiang Quan, will also face execution!" Bai Shandian was stunned, thinking, "Three days? That's too short! Your Majesty, are you playing with me?" He quickly submitted a request: "Your Majesty, the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' has already attracted the attention of people in the martial world! As you know, the martial world is unfathomable, and masters emerge endlessly..." "My meager, low-level martial arts skills are hardly enough to defend myself, let alone pursue the culprit and steal the book. I beg Your Majesty to send a few more martial arts masters to assist me." Qianlong sneered and said, "You, Bai Shandian, you've become quite something lately, daring to bargain with me! You want me to send you a few more martial arts masters? Hmph! You wish! Let me personally investigate the case for you, alright?" Bai Shandian hurriedly knelt down again, repeatedly saying, "I dare not!" Qianlong snorted and led his men away.

The General's Mansion in Hangzhou. As night fell, the four lanterns bearing the words "General's Mansion" at the entrance illuminated the mansion like daylight. Eight Banner soldiers stood in a line, the entire mansion under martial law, surrounding the vast residence like an iron fortress, as if facing a formidable enemy. Bai Shandian was dining with Hongchen. Hongchen downed three cups of fine wine in quick succession, in high spirits. Seeing Bai Shandian's furrowed brow, not having drunk a drop of wine, and not touching the chopsticks on the table, she said with some concern, "Lord Bai, is the food tonight not to your liking?" Bai Shandian shook his head, remaining silent.

Hongchen said, "You don't need to worry about anything. The Emperor said he wants you to retrieve the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' in three days, but that may not be his true intention. Think about us officials, when superiors order subordinates to handle cases, who doesn't use this kind of trick? If we don't make a big show of it, using both coaxing and intimidation, who would risk their life to do something for him? So, Lord Bai, you can relax. Eat and drink as you please. Things will work out in the end. Lord Bai, let's drink to the fullest today and drink to our hearts' content!" Bai Shandian involuntarily picked up his wine cup, clinked it with his, and gulped it down. Immediately, an extremely spicy taste choked him, causing him to cough violently. After a long while, she calmed down and said with some sadness, "Lord Hong, life is not easy! I spend my days away from home, living a life of danger, and in the end, the Emperor still distrusts and suspects me. He didn't listen to my advice at all, insisting that the second volume of 'The Complete Book of Jianghu' is the nemesis of the first volume, and that my wife, Xiangquan, is plotting a rebellion. He even imprisoned her in Hangzhou! Alas, what kind of mess is this?"

Hongchen, feeling a sense of shared misfortune, said with a heavy heart, "Yesterday, I felt the same way. If it weren't for Lord Bai's mercy, my daughter would be locked up in Hangzhou prison right now. I hope that good fortune will come, and that my daughter will retrieve the extraordinary book 'Complete Book of Jianghu' and hand it over to the Emperor. Perhaps the Emperor will show mercy and release your wife!" Bai Shandian stood up, ran outside to look around, and returned to his seat, sighing, "Alas, my beloved daughter hasn't returned yet! I'm so anxious!" Hongchen laughed, "Lord Bai, don't worry. My daughter has been cunning and difficult to deal with since she was little! Once she's made up her mind, not even eight oxen could pull her back. I guarantee she'll bring you good news. Just you wait and see!" Bai Shandian silently chanted Amitabha, and said with a bitter smile, "I hope so!" The two clinked glasses twice and picked up their chopsticks to eat.