Chapter 19: A Prophetic Word Breeds Suspicion

Eleventh Young Master, you truly are...
Seeing Ye Chang looking over, Ye Dan shook his head, utterly at a loss for words regarding his grandnephew.
Ever since he awoke after being struck by that unlucky star, the trouble he stirred up never ceased, leaving everyone dizzy with the spectacle. Ye Dan, more experienced than Madam Liu, saw through Ye Chang's commotion: Liu's attention had shifted from worrying about Liu Gui being sold to protecting her own land, but this was only a temporary reprieve.
Madam Liu would certainly seek help from her family.
"Forgive your old uncle for laughing, but the unrest at home leaves me no choice, always being schemed against is hardly pleasant."
"Indeed... so what are your plans?"
"The clan leader advised me to study last time. Though I am reluctant to attend the clan school, I do wish to study in solitude," Ye Chang replied with a smile. "But the village is noisy and unsuitable for reading. I intend to build a hut in Mount Overturning Pot and study there."
"I underestimated you last time. You need not study alongside others in the clan school, nor is there a tutor worthy of teaching you."
Hearing Ye Chang's plan to build a hut for study, Ye Dan felt relieved, then delighted. Ye Chang had no real intention of engaging in a battle with Madam Liu, which meant fewer troubles for him. And if Ye Chang succeeded in his studies, it would finally bring forth a pillar of talent from the Ye family.
He looked at Ye Chang with admiration. "Where on the mountain will you build your hut? I'll send clansmen to help!"
"I've found a place and was planning to ask for help to build two small houses. But since the clan leader has spoken, I have no worries," Ye Chang replied, unpretentious. He understood that, in this era, it was impossible to escape the influence of the clan entirely. The best he could do was to grow stronger himself, and in the shortest time, progress from being affected by the clan to influencing and controlling it.
"Excellent, excellent." After Ye Chang described the location, Ye Dan nodded repeatedly. It was in Mount Overturning Pot, about four li from Wuze, surrounded on three sides by mountains, with a small valley in the middle. Though not large, besides building a house, it could provide over ten mu of sloped fields. At the very least, daily vegetables could be self-supplied.
The only inconvenience was the rugged road to the valley, but if Ye Chang truly intended to study in seclusion, this was an advantage—no one would disturb him.
With that, Ye Dan felt he should help Ye Chang even more. This young junior was worth his effort and care.
"Eleventh Young Master, what classics do you wish to study? What books do you need? I'll borrow them for you!"
Ye Chang was moved. This was not a future world overflowing with unread books; in this era, books were precious, woodblock printing was rare, and many texts were laboriously copied by hand!
"The Book of Laozi, Zuo's Commentary, and the Book of Changes. The essence of Daoism and Confucianism lies within," Ye Chang replied.
"Good, I'll remember... Do you need poetry collections?"
"If there are rhyme dictionaries or similar books, it would be best to borrow them."
Ye Chang knew that although he possessed plenty of poetry, he did not truly understand the rhyme rules of Tang poetry. He needed to catch up on this knowledge, lest he slip up when copying poems in the future. Hearing his request, Ye Dan, not being highly literate himself, did not grasp the importance of these books, but nodded repeatedly and sighed, "Your eldest uncle once studied hard, seeking a provincial recommendation. Though he failed, he read more than anyone in the Ye clan. If only he could teach you..."
Ye Dan's words hinted at his hope for harmony between the two branches of the family, but Ye Chang pretended not to understand. He was not intent on feuding with the eldest branch, but he would not suffer insults for the sake of family harmony.
Ye Dan sighed again, and the two discussed how to build a simple road to the valley, then planned the construction. This had to be done soon; any later and the busy farming season would make it impossible to spare workers.
But even if no wages were paid, meals had to be provided, and hard labor demanded meat, not just the usual fare. Calculating the costs, it would require about fifteen strings of cash.
"Fifteen strings, I can manage that," Ye Chang said, signaling to Xiang'er.
Xiang'er pouted, reluctantly bringing out a clay jar from the house and pouring out several strings of cash and a gold ingot.
Ye Dan was startled. Although the third branch was better off than the second, they were not wealthy; to produce so much money at once required skill.
"Please, clan leader, take these first. The gold and copper together are worth about sixteen strings. I will make up the rest," Ye Chang smiled.
"This, this..."
Ye Dan had intended for the clan to bear the cost—public funds, no loss to himself, and it would earn him great favor with Ye Chang. He had not expected Ye Chang to have already prepared the money. He was at a loss for words.
Just as he was about to take the money, the door to Ye Chang's house suddenly banged open, and Madam Liu's shrill voice rang out.

"You little beast, wretch, I'll fight you to the death!"
Madam Liu, hair wild and barefoot, charged in and rammed herself at Ye Chang!
Ye Chang had not expected her to return for a surprise attack. He dodged, but Madam Liu, unable to stop, crashed into Ye Dan, sending the clan leader tumbling like a rolling gourd!
Clang!
Not only did Ye Dan roll on the ground, but the strings of cash and the gold ingot rolled as well, with the gold ingot stopping right at Madam Liu's feet. Seeing its shape, Madam Liu immediately recalled it was one of her prized gold pieces, once hidden in her bedside chest!
She did not realize she had given it to Ye Lian to buy bamboo, but lunged for it. Yet little Chunming darted over and stamped on her hand, making her cry out in pain. The agile boy snatched the gold ingot as she screamed, then ran to Ye Chang and handed it to him.
"The little bastard, little beast, that's my gold, mine!"
Madam Liu, fueled by some unknown strength, scrambled up, about to attack again, but Ye Dan, finally standing, shouted furiously, "You shrew, how dare you!"
Ye Dan was enraged; it was one thing for Madam Liu to attack Ye Chang, but to knock his old bones to the ground, nearly costing him his life, was intolerable!
His shout made Madam Liu pause, not advancing on Ye Chang. Her swollen eyes darted between the two, then recalled the scene she saw upon entering...
Madam Liu suddenly cackled.
Ye Dan felt uneasy, wondering if the woman had lost her mind.
"Good, good! I finally see why you, old wretch, favor this little beast! The old wretch and the little beast are in cahoots... The little beast uses sorcery to steal my property, and the old wretch receives the stolen goods... Good! Little beast, old wretch, just wait, wait for my father to come and haul you to the magistrate!"
With that, Madam Liu spun around and left, ignoring the two men.
She came suddenly, left decisively, leaving Ye Dan and Ye Chang staring at each other.
"Has that shrew lost her mind?" Ye Dan moaned, rubbing his back.
"I think... we should ask about what's happened in the eldest branch. Her sudden visit doesn't feel right," Ye Chang said, feeling a sense of foreboding. "What she said as she left didn't seem like empty threats."
"You're right, Eleventh Young Master, your mind grows ever sharper," Ye Dan praised Ye Chang again, then looked outside and spotted someone peeking in. He shouted, "You from the Song family, come in! What happened?"
It was a maid from the eldest branch, who had followed Madam Liu but lagged behind when Liu hurt her foot, allowing Ye Dan to catch her. As the clan leader, Ye Dan commanded respect, especially with Ye Chang present.
She glanced at Ye Chang, terrified, then carefully knelt and bowed to Ye Dan and Ye Chang.
"What happened?" Ye Dan asked.
"Master, my mistress checked her chest on returning and found the land deed and gold... all taken by Eleventh Young Master through sorcery!"
She trembled as she spoke, not daring to look at Ye Chang.
Ye Chang was stunned, as was Ye Dan.
"What?" Ye Dan pressed.
The maid, now less tongue-tied, explained: Madam Liu, frightened by Ye Chang, rushed home to inspect her chest, followed by the servants. Shortly after entering, Liu let out a wailing scream, then dashed out with the chest. Inside, only a few indenture papers and scraps remained; the land deed and gold were gone.
"Eh?" Ye Dan turned to Ye Chang, eyes filled with dread.
Ye Chang was dumbfounded. He had only meant to scare Madam Liu; he knew no real Five Ghosts Transport spell—this was the flourishing Tang, not the world of ghost stories! But such a coincidence left him unable to defend himself; the missing deed and gold would surely be blamed on him!

"Hahaha... Eleventh Young Master, your plan to build a hut in the valley must be reconsidered, reconsidered..." Ye Dan suddenly laughed, then groaned, "My old back can't take it; I must see the Daoist at the Medicine King Temple. You carry on, I'll be off..."
He spoke as he left, moving briskly, showing no sign of a bad back, and vanished from Ye Chang's sight in moments.
Ye Chang stood there, lost in thought, eventually sighing deeply.
He had only wanted to move outside the village for convenience, and if he could earn a reputation as a recluse or immortal, so much the better. But his act had gone too far, and now he'd landed himself in trouble...
The Tang Emperor Li Longji was indeed devoted to Daoism, but he was ruthless toward fake Daoists and sorcerers who disrupted the populace. This time, Ye Chang had gotten himself into real trouble.
Scratching his head, he muttered, "No, I can't let the clan leader escape so easily."
With Chunming and Xiang'er still confused, he quickly had them tidy the house, then hurried to the clan leader's home. As luck would have it, he caught Ye Dan at the door—Ye Dan was about to hide at the Medicine King Temple, but Ye Chang intercepted him, making his expression sour.
Ye Chang's next words made it even worse.
"Uncle, I've just realized something—you've got big trouble!"
"What trouble?"
"When that shrew left, she seemed to have misunderstood you. I fear she now sees you as my accomplice, perhaps even believes you directed me to steal her deed and gold. She must be off to her family for reinforcements. I don't know her father and brothers well, but judging by her, they must be greedy and fierce, mustn't they?"
Ye Dan nodded involuntarily.
"Then it's terrible—I really dragged you into this!" Ye Chang stamped his feet in frustration. "Her father and brothers will surely seize the chance: first, to take your clan leader's position and the village chief's post for my eldest uncle; second, if they want a target to exploit, poor me can't compare to you, the richest man in Wuze!"
Ye Dan was shaken—it was true!
He had long felt the pressure from the Liu family. He schemed to seize lands from small outsider households in the village, and the Liu family had long coveted his own fields.
For them, this was the perfect opportunity. Using Ye Chang as leverage, they'd sink their teeth into Ye Dan; even if he escaped, he'd have to pay dearly to avert disaster!
"What do I do, what do I do?" Ye Dan panicked. "Eleventh Young Master, you caused this trouble; if you truly have that Five Ghosts Transport spell, why not silence the shrew?"
"Uncle, if I really had such powers, would I need your help building a hut?" Ye Chang sighed. "It's over, over—you're the pillar of the Ye clan. If you fall, how can any of us survive? The Liu family would devour us whole, not leaving a single bone! Even in future ancestral rites, we won't be able to offer cold pork!"
"No, this can't happen!" Ye Dan, struck by the consequences, realized he couldn't just hide. He paced back and forth, agitated. "What should I do?"
"I do have an idea to ease your worries," Ye Chang said after Ye Dan had circled five or six times.
By now, Ye Dan had forgotten that this was originally Ye Chang's problem. He was convinced that if it wasn't handled properly, it would spell disaster for him—and for the Ye clan. Thus, he was ready to use all clan resources to solve it.
"Eleventh Young Master, since you have a plan, why aren't you saying it? Do you want me to beg?" he said, a bit angry.
"It's simple: Uncle, report it to the authorities and shift the blame to me," Ye Chang replied.
"What?"
"You report the theft first... By the way, which county official do you know better—the magistrate or the captain? What are their personalities?"