Chapter 25: Plot Against
The two of them fooled around on Su Chen’s bed for more than half an hour before finally leaving.
Su Chen walked out from behind the screen and changed into a fresh pair of white clothes, then left the Dustsift Courtyard.
This time, he didn’t leave from the back door.
Su Chen wandered aimlessly around the Su Clan’s residence, following the roads paved with azure stone.
Even though he hadn’t been able to see for three years, the Su Clan was still the same Su Clan. Although the same objects were there, the people had changed.
As he walked, Su Chen encountered many servants of the Su Clan, many of which Su Chen had never seen before. Apparently, after Yan Wushuang had taken control, she had wantonly monopolized the situation. She united with those of the same views but alienated those with different views and got rid of many older people, exchanging them for newer people. She had been praised as “striving to make the clan prosperous; a breath of fresh air washing out the previous dynasty’s crimes.” As for who the “previous dynasty” was meant to describe, everyone was very clear. It seemed as if there was nothing false about those statements.
Regardless of whether it was a new person or an old person, their expressions were pretty much always ones of disregard when they saw him.
People who walked directly past him would completely ignore the existence of this Fourth Young Master. In any case, he could not see. Even if he felt that there were people walking by, he wouldn’t know who they were, so why be polite to him?
Of course, if there were other elders present, they would still have to pretend to pay their outward respects. But now that many of the elders did not view Su Chen favorably and were rude to him, perhaps they wouldn’t even be punished but would receive a reward. During his entire walk, Su Chen actually didn’t see a single person pay their respects to him.
Su Chen did not care either. He just continued to walk as per usual.
It wasn’t until he got to the martial practice yard that he heard a familiar voice, “Fourth Young Master has come.”
It was Mingshu.
This silly guy was probably the only person in the entire Su Palace who didn’t know how to deceive people. Upon seeing Su Chen arrive, he hurriedly rushed forward to support him.
“Mingshu, you were beaten up again these past two days, weren’t you?” Su Chen asked with a smile.
“Ah, how did Fourth Young Master know?” Mingshu was startled.
How did I know? Naturally it’s from looking at the bruise marks on your face.
Su Chen said in his heart, but his expression remained serene as he said, “Naturally, I guessed. In the entire palace, apart from my mother and my Third Uncle, you are probably the only one who dares to be kind to me. The two of them both have an Elder as their backer, so others don’t dare mess with them. However, you have no backer and yet you still dare to be good to me; how are you not looking to be beaten?”
When Mingshu heard this, he began to laugh, “Don’t worry, it’s just a few careless punches to vent some of their frustrations. It won’t be able to ruin me.”
When Su Chen heard these words, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.
Before, when he couldn’t see, he didn’t know the severity of Mingshu’s wounds. Now, seeing Mingshu’s appearance, with both of his eyes having been beaten purple, how could this be considered ‘a few careless punches’?
Su Chen thought for a moment, then said, “Mingshu, do you wish to serve me?”
“Serve Fourth Young Master?” Mingshu was dazed. “But doesn’t Fourth Young Master already have Jianxin?”
“Jianxin has his own responsibilities, and you will have your own. Just tell me if you are willing or not.”
“Willing, of course I’m willing!” Mingshu hurriedly nodded his head.
Su Chen laughed, “Good, then I will go and find my grandfather later to request you. Next time, if someone dares to hit you again, let me know.”
“Yes!” Mingshu furiously nodded his head.
Su Chen then walked out.
“Is Fourth Young Master not planning on training for a while?” Mingshu asked.
“There’s no need. I still have a few matters to take care of. Help me call for a carriage and send me to the True Jade Pavilion.
Mingshu diligently went to go ask for the carriage, but shortly afterwards he returned empty-handed.
Su Chen asked, “Where is the carriage?”
Mingshu angrily huffed, “That bastard Mo Dayan said something about many people travelling today from the house. Your carriage is already in use. I don’t believe that, with so many carriages in the palace, there wasn’t a single empty one and that they simply had to use yours. They are clearly trying to bully you, Fourth Young Master!”
Mo Dayan was the Su Clan’s head charioteer. If he didn’t give out a carriage, Mingshu couldn’t do anything about it.
“Let’s go take a look,” Su Chen said.
They exited the martial practice courtyard. After passing through a long corridor, they arrived at the location where the Su Clan’s carriages were housed.
At this moment in the fleet, a group of people was sitting around drinking wine. Their leader was a burly man who was around forty years old. A grizzled beard gave his face a ferocious bent as he sat there brazenly drinking from a bowl with his chest half revealed. This was precisely Mo Dayan.
The charioteers drinking wine with Mo Dayan quietly prodded Mo Dayan when they saw Su Chen arrive, “Boss, Su Chen is here.”
Mo Dayan rolled his eyes. He glanced at Su Chen, then snorted and said, “Ignore him.”
Su Chen had already arrived in front of him. He said, “Mo Dayan, where is my carriage?”
Mo Dayan placed the wine bowl down, “Oh, it’s Fourth Young Master. Unfortunately, today all of the Elders and Young Masters in the palaces, as well as all the Aunts and Grandmothers wanted to go somewhere for some unknown reason, and they were all clamoring for carriages. I don’t even have enough carriages normally, so how could I have any for you? In addition, if you’re blind, you should just be staying at home if you have nothing to do. Why come outside and try to make a commotion?”
Mingshu was enraged, “Mo Dayan, you dare disrespect Young Master……”
Su Chen had already stopped him. He only asked Mo Dayan, “Every family has their own carriage, so if they want to go somewhere they can use their own. Even if there aren’t enough, they aren’t allowed to claim the carriages of other family members. This rule was set down by Grandfather; you wouldn’t happen to not know about it, would you?”
Mo Dayan laughed and said, “You’re right, that is the rule. But rules are dead, whereas people are living. Some things require adapting to the circumstances.”
Su Chen countered, “What if I don’t agree to adapting to the circumstances?”
Mo Dayan laughed again, “Fourth Young Master is still a master, while I am just a servant. If Fourth Young Master really wants a carriage, I, Mo Dayan, cannot forcefully refuse to give one to you. But while carriages are reserved under the palace’s rules, people are not. I can give you a carriage, but as for someone to drive it, I can’t do anything about it.”
Su Chen originally had his own driver.
However, after Su Chen had gone blind, his driver had been stripped of his role as a driver, and was instead sent to raise horses.
Originally, if he didn’t have a driver, the Su Clan was supposed to arrange another one for him, but to be the driver for a large clan was not something that anyone could do. Typically, they would need to possess a certain level of martial arts. Apart from driving the carriage, most also assumed protective duties. They were pretty much partial bodyguards. Thus, the status of charioteers in the clan was relatively high. After Su Chen had been blinded, he would not easily leave, so there was no need to train someone new. Naturally, this matter was always delayed. When Su Chen had been sent to the True Jade Pavilion, he should have received one then, but because he had offended too many people, everyone had collectively chosen to selectively forget it. Thus, every time that he had wanted to go out, Mo Dayan had chosen someone else to help Su Chen set up the carriage.
Because of this matter, Su Chen could do nothing against Mo Dayan and prevent him from giving Su Chen a hard time.
Su Chen did not lose his temper. He said, “Don’t worry about it, just give me the carriage. I won’t need a driver.”
“What?” Mo Dayan was dazed.
Su Chen had already turned his head around to say, “Mingshu, go find Zhou Hong for me and tell him to set up the carriage for me.”
Zhou Hong was the charioteer that was Su Chen’s driver back when Su Chen had gone blind.
Mingshu was also dazed, “But Fourth Young Master, because he was unable to protect you at that time, he has already been demoted by Grand Elder.”
“What happened then was not his fault. Even so, I get to decide who I want to use. Why are you still not calling him over?”
Mingshu suddenly scampered off as if he’d awoken from a dream, “I will go call him now.”
Mo Dayan’s expression changed, “Zhou Hong was powerless to protect his master and is not fit to be a charioteer. For Fourth Young Master to use a useless person, isn’t that against the rules?”
“You said yourself that he isn’t a charioteer of the Su Clan. Since that’s the case, then it’s none of your business. What? Are you in charge of who I get to use?” Su Chen countered.
Mo Dayan’s face was alternating between shades of blue and white.
At this moment, a voice suddenly laughed, “Fourth Elder Brother is right. Are you, Mo Dayan, in charge of who Fourth Elder Brother wants to use?”
A person had already stepped out from behind, a figure to accompany the voice.
Even without looking at his face, Su Chen knew who the new arrival was.
Su Yue.
He was the grandson of the Su Clan’s Second Elder, Su Changqing. He was ranked ninth in the Su Clan’s third generation, so most people called him Little Nine.
The Second Elder of the Su Clan was a staunch supporter of Su Keji. Thus, Su Yue could be said to be the person that would get along with Su Chen the worst.
Seeing Su Yue appear here, Su Chen realized why Mo Dayan suddenly was unwilling to give him a carriage for seemingly no reason.
This matter should have been due to Su Yue’s interference.
Since Su Yue had spoken at this moment, Mo Dayan did not continue to insist. He called for some others to bring out Su Chen’s carriage.
Just as the horse carriage was being led out, Su Chen saw Su Yue pull out a few silver needles and place them inside the carriage, making no effort to be secretive. Then, he speedily slashed out, leaving behind numerous hidden marks on the axle and shaft of the carriage.
If Su Chen were to just sit in the carriage and head out like this, the shaft of the carriage would break not too long afterwards and the entire carriage would collapse. Following the carriage’s collapse, Su Chen would definitely fall. When the wooden boards split, the needles inside would pierce into Su Chen’s body.
He wouldn’t die, yet his outcome definitely wouldn’t be good.
What a vicious and poisonous method.
What made people the most speechless was that everything was done right under Su Chen’s eyelids.
You’re bullying me for being blind!