HUS Chapter 16: Soul Returns to Tianshui
Dec 5, 2025
Soul, come back.
The scene of welcoming home the soul of Yu Chengye, the eldest son of the eldest branch of the Yu clan, was quite grand.
After Yang Can's group crossed the mountain pass and entered Tianshui territory, Yu family people came to meet them.
They used eight horses to pull a large cart, bringing a replacement coffin for Yu Chengye.
The previous coffin was strictly speaking just an outer coffin, and a crude one at that, pieced together from carriage planks.
Now this was a true coffin and outer casket. The nanmu wood coffin alone was four inches thick, encased on the outside with gold foil and decorated with cloud patterns.
The outermost casket was carved from a single piece of bluestone, engraved with the Four Symbols divine beasts and many other auspicious designs and patterns.
The receiving party also prepared large quantities of funeral supplies. This contingent that had originally been a wedding procession finally didn't have to continue the awkward practice of escorting the coffin while wearing festive clothes.
All along the way, plain white mourning clothes were everywhere.
Whether villages, estates, or cities, all wore hemp and mourning, setting up sacrificial altars along the route.
Village chiefs, estate masters, or city lords all set up incense tables with fine wine, leading the local notables and elders to welcome home the coffin of the Yu clan's eldest young master.
The various branch heads, elders, and stewards of the Yu family distributed throughout Tianshui, as well as powerful figures from all directions, literati and scholars, eminent monks and virtuous priests, Daoist masters and true persons, gentry and merchants...
They were all rushing toward Phoenix Mountain.
These people encompassed almost all the high-status, powerful groups within Yu clan territory.
This was still because the matter arose suddenly with insufficient time to notify a wider range.
Otherwise, with such an important figure of the Yu family passing away, the other clans would also send people to offer condolences.
This wasn't Yang Can's first time coming to Phoenix Mountain Manor. He had come before accompanying Yu Chengye.
But arriving at the foot of Phoenix Mountain again and seeing such a grand scene, he couldn't help but feel awed.
Extravagant displays were themselves a kind of authority, a kind of power.
Those wealthy and powerful people certainly had money, but they wouldn't be foolish enough to spend wastefully.
This kind of extravagant display was actually creating a '势' (momentum/power), a momentum that commanded people to look up, a momentum that could make people submit in fear.
The formation of authority was inseparable from this kind of magnificent prestige.
Having lived two lives, Yang Can was quite worldly. Even he felt awed seeing this. How could those illiterate common people not feel fear and reverence?
This was just the weakest of the eight Longshang clans, the Yu clan, yet they had such grand spectacle and prestige, almost rivaling royalty.
If it were the Upper Three Clans, what kind of scene would that be?
If it were the ruler of all under heaven, what would that be like?
A great man should be thus!
Yang Can was originally someone who went with the flow. It wasn't that he was Buddhist by nature, but in both his past and present lives, he had never had opportunities that could make ambition grow but this time was different. Nanny Tu's sudden whim had created a deadly crisis for him, but also brought an opportunity.
If at first Yang Can was a duck driven onto a perch, now he wanted to actively seize the opportunity.
Unlike Yang Can, as soon as he entered Yu family territory, Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan was in constant anxiety.
As long as the secret between Yang Can and the young mistress wasn't exposed, he wouldn't face mortal danger but Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan was about to face great disaster. Having done many chaotic things before, trying hard to remedy the situation, he still didn't know if it would have any effect.
The restless and uneasy Cheng Dakuan sidled up to Yang Can and said in a low voice, "Master Yang, these past few days I can't eat bread or sleep. I just keep calculating how the clan head will deal with me..."
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Master Yang, you're a scholar who understands much reasoning. Tell me, how exactly will the clan head deal with me?"
Yang Can said, "Dakuan, you see this grand funeral scene? For noble persons, in life they possess dignity, in death they leave behind glory. Living, halberds line their gates; deceased, their monument reaches the clouds. This is the natural order of heaven and earth."
Leopard Head looked completely bewildered, "Master Yang, say something I can understand."
Yang Can said, "This means that for a great personage like the Yu clan's eldest heir, even in death, they cannot die obscurely. Someone must pay a price, only then does this noble person not die in vain. Do you understand?"
Leopard Head gritted his teeth, "This person who pays the price... could it be me?"
Yang Can nodded, "It must be. It can only be you."
Leopard Head's face instantly turned deathly pale, "Master Yang, you said that as long as I did what you told me, there would definitely be a thread of hope. You said..."
Yang Can hastily consoled him, "Don't panic. The Yu family's soul-welcoming party has arrived, but they didn't arrest you on the spot. Instead, they're allowing you to travel with the procession. What does this show? This shows that our previous efforts weren't in vain. You've already grasped that thread of hope."
Leopard Head nervously licked his lips. Several blisters had already formed on his lips.
"Master Yang, what should I do next?"
"Wait!"
"Wait for what?"
"Wait for the clan head to summon me."
Leopard Head nearly cried, "Master Yang, I really haven't studied. Please say something even 'illiterate blind people' can understand."
Yang Can said, "As long as the clan head is willing to summon me, it means the clan head needs some people who don't get along well with the Suo family to serve him.
So, as long as the clan head is willing to summon me, you'll definitely have a chance to survive!"
...
Not long after entering Phoenix Mountain, there was an orchard on the side of the mountain.
This orchard also raised many poultry, providing vegetables, fruits, meat, and eggs for Phoenix Mountain Manor.
Now this orchard was temporarily being used as a funeral hall, where the body rested.
The Yu family disciples sent to welcome the soul would come here dressed in white mourning clothes to escort the coffin up the mountain.
The person presiding over the soul-welcoming was Yu Chengye's second uncle, Yu Huanhu.
Yu Huanhu was Yu Chengye's paternal uncle, the head of this generation's eldest branch second line.
As an elder, logically he didn't need to come down the mountain to welcome the soul but Yu Chengye was the designated heir of the Yu clan, equivalent to the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. Yu Huanhu was equivalent to a prince.
Although uncle and nephew, they were also lord and subject. It wasn't inappropriate for this second uncle to welcome the soul.
Suo Zhanzhi, as Yu Chengye's not-yet widow, publicly cut off a lock of her black hair and placed it in the coffin.
With this ceremony, she completed the identity confirmation as the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch of the Yu family. No one could change it.
A nine-foot "memorial banner" was raised over the funeral carriage. Large characters reading "Coffin of Yu Family's Legitimate Eldest Son Chengye" covered the entire coffin.
Seeing the coffin, Yu Huanhu's expression was very ugly.
Although the "truth" of Yu Chengye's death hadn't spread widely, there were many rumors about it and in these rumors, he was portrayed as the murderer.
He naturally wished Yu Chengye would die, but assassinating him during the wedding procession had too many lasting consequences.
After careful consideration, Yu Huanhu still didn't dare make a move. Yet who knew Yu Chengye would still die.
He hadn't done it, yet had to take the blame for someone else. How could his mood possibly be good?
"Suo clan member of the Yu family, greets uncle!"
Since Uncle had personally come to welcome the soul, Suo Zhanzhi as the not-yet widow naturally had to step forward and pay respects.
This widow in mourning clothes, gracefully bowing to Yu Huanhu, tears glistening on her lashes, her pretty face bearing sorrow, looked truly pitiful.
Yu Huanhu felt nothing, but the many young people of the Yu family of the same generation as Yu Chengye or even a generation below were utterly amazed.
This widow before them with her fragrant bones and slender waist was clearly a fairy in mourning robes.
Look at her white mourning clothes like snow, cloud-like hair half-loosened, flower-like countenance pale with grief, pearl-like tears on her lashes...
Truly heartbreaking.
That boy Chengye was truly blessed...
Alas! Blessed he was blessed, it's just that blessing was a bit thin!
What a pity, such good mountains, good waters, good fields, just abandoned like this, left to go fallow. The thought alone was suffocating with heartache!
"Nephew-in-law, please rise. You have my condolences."
Yu Huanhu let out a deep sigh, forced himself to rally his spirits, and raised his hand to help her up.
After consoling Suo Zhanzhi, Yu Huanhu organized the ceremony to escort the soul up the mountain.
The funeral carriage was changed to six ceremonial fans, with Yu Chengye's younger brother Yu Chenglin holding the "merit cloth" as the guide.
Following that, Yu family members within five degrees of mourning of the same generation or younger, wearing "unhemmed mourning" and "hemmed mourning" garments, supported the funeral carriage, wailing sorrowfully as they ascended the mountain.
In this process, Yang Can was completely invisible, with no opportunity to step forward.
Since entering Tianshui territory, the number of people around Suo Zhanzhi had increased, and Yang Can had no more opportunities to get close to her.
In the bustle, no one seemed to remember this Adviser Yang.
So Yang Can wasn't handed back over to the Yu family side. Suo Zhanzhi herself couldn't get away, so she left him to Qingmei to arrange.
"Look, you'll stay here for these few days. Don't wander around, understand?"
Qingmei led Yang Can into the first courtyard of Yu Chengye's residence, entering a side room.
As the Yu family's designated heir, Yu Chengye possessed an independent large courtyard compound at Phoenix Mountain Manor.
This compound was located on the eastern side of the manor. Though part of the entire manor, it was relatively independent.
It was a three-courtyard compound with independent high walls and independent entry gates.
Even if separated from the entire Phoenix Mountain Manor, it would still be a complete three-courtyard estate.
This side room was quite spacious, a three-room layout with a main hall and two side rooms on either side.
"Thank you for your care, Miss Qingmei." Yang Can nodded to Qingmei. He was quite satisfied with this "prison cell."
This treatment wasn't worse than when he was Yu Chengye's adviser.
"Ahem, what are you talking about? I'm not taking care of you. Anyway, someone will bring you three meals a day. Just honestly stay here and don't go wandering about for no reason."
As soon as he was polite to her, Qingmei felt uncomfortable all over.
Qingmei's feelings toward Yang Can were now very complicated.
On one hand, she was Suo Zhanzhi's chamber maid. The two were like sisters.
So every time she heard the sounds of Suo Zhanzhi being bullied by Yang Can, she felt united in enmity.
According to her logic, if you bully my young lady, isn't that the same as bullying me?
But on the other hand, precisely because she was Suo Zhanzhi's chamber maid, she easily put herself in her place.
Once she did that, her feelings toward Yang Can became strange and peculiar.
So now being alone with Yang Can made her inexplicably panicked.
As soon as Yang Can mentioned care, Qingmei acted as if afraid he'd misunderstand something, hastily distancing herself, "Alright, alright. You... just rest well. I... have to go attend to my young lady."
Qingmei found an excuse in her panic and fled, as if a heart-stealing ghost was hidden in the room