The next day, Zhao Baozhu sat on the bed in a daze for quite a long time after waking.
Qi Mama’s hangover soup had been excellent. After one night’s sleep, he felt refreshed and clear-headed, without the slightest discomfort. His clothes had also been changed. At present he wore his usual sleeping robes, and the bedding was clean and fluffy.
Zhao Baozhu lowered his head and gently lifted the blanket covering his stomach for a look.
That single glance was enough to make his face blaze scarlet.
With a whoosh, he yanked the blanket over himself again.
Zhao Baozhu was mortified.
Naturally, he knew what it was. His father had taught him, and many of the older boys in the village had already experienced it too.
Red-faced all over, Zhao Baozhu panicked just like a child who had accidentally wet the bed. Humiliated and flustered, he slapped his own thigh.
How could he do something like this?!
Shameless!
Immediately afterward, he became like an ant on a hot pan.
Under no circumstances could anyone else discover such an embarrassing thing!
Zhao Baozhu scrambled clumsily off the bed, but in his haste caught his foot on his trousers and landed flat on the floor with a thud.
“Bang!”
The muffled sound left him grimacing in pain. Yet he did not dare rest even for a moment. Hurriedly scrambling back up, he changed into clean underclothes, then yanked all the soiled bedding off in one armful, preparing to wash everything himself first.
However, the moment Zhao Baozhu hugged the bundle and prepared to leave, he ran directly into Fang Li, who had come to check on him.
Fang Li immediately stopped him, lowering his head with a frown.
“What are you doing? Running around so early in the morning. I heard a huge noise just now. Did you fall?”
As he spoke, he noticed the bundle in Zhao Baozhu’s arms. His expression paused briefly, then he asked strangely: “You wet the bed?”
It was not strange for him to think so. Zhao Baozhu had truly drunk quite a lot the night before. Fang Li assumed he had been too drunk to wake during the night and had accidentally peed the bed.
Zhao Baozhu’s face burned red as he stumbled over his explanation. “I… n-no… it’s not… that…”
He could hardly say outright that he had wet the bed, could he? But somehow explaining the truth felt even more humiliating—
“I-I’ll go wash it clean!”
Unable to explain properly, Zhao Baozhu lowered his head and tried to rush out.
Fang Li, all long limbs, easily blocked him and snatched the bedding away. After glancing down briefly, he immediately understood the situation.
One brow lifted slightly. Looking at Zhao Baozhu, who practically wanted to bury himself underground, Fang Li laughed softly.
“What’s the big deal?”
Smiling, he reached out and squeezed Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder. “Why are you hiding from me? It’s not like I’d dislike you for it.”
Still terribly embarrassed, Zhao Baozhu lowered his head and muttered: “The bed… got dirty…”
Seeing this, Fang Li laughed even harder and gave Zhao Baozhu two pats on the back. “It’s fine. I’ll wash it for you in no time.”
Hearing that, Zhao Baozhu was visibly moved. His eyelashes trembled slightly, gratitude appearing in his eyes. He truly had been worried about dirtying someone else’s home. Fang Li treating him with such warmth made him feel deeply comforted.
Unfortunately, that gratitude did not last long before yet another figure appeared outside the room. “What are you two blocking the doorway for so early in the morning?”
It was Fang Qin.
The moment Fang Li saw him arrive, he did not even hesitate before immediately holding up the bedding bundle.
“Look — Baozhu last night—”
“AHHHHHH—!”
Zhao Baozhu nearly exploded on the spot, jumping three feet into the air. “Don’t look! How could you—”
“What’s going on?” Fang Qin was first startled by Zhao Baozhu’s beet-red face. Then he turned to look, and instantly his expression became teasingly amused. Casting Zhao Baozhu a sidelong glance, he chuckled. “So that’s what this is about. Our Baozhu’s become quite the grown young man now—”
Fang Li joined in laughing.
“Exactly. He’s not that little anymore. Just now he was still embarrassed and wanted to wash it himself.”
Being teased like this made Zhao Baozhu feel as though his face might actually burst into flames.
Seeing how embarrassed he was, Fang Qin remembered how thin-skinned Zhao Baozhu could be. Clearing his throat, he prepared to change the subject.
Yet at that very moment, Deng Yun suddenly flashed into the doorway. “What secret gossip are you all crowding together over?”
Zhao Baozhu: !!!
***
After another round of laughter and teasing, Zhao Baozhu was nearly too exhausted to even be angry anymore.
Deng Yun slung an arm around his shoulders, cackling nonstop. Having already thoroughly teased Zhao Baozhu, he had now begun recounting his own glorious youthful exploits.
“This is nothing compared to me back then. That one night—”
Seeing him grow increasingly inappropriate, Fang Qin finally interrupted sharply: “That’s enough.”
Then he looked Deng Yun up and down critically. “Could you at least put your own clothes on properly first?”
No one had looked after Deng Yun the previous night. He had only bathed and changed clothes after waking today, and because he had not drunk hangover soup, half his brain was still throbbing painfully.
Completely unconcerned, he waved a hand and continued waggling his brows at Zhao Baozhu. “Come on, tell your big brother here, what did you dream about last night?”
Zhao Baozhu froze.
Fang Qin and Fang Li also froze. Then both their expressions changed drastically as they stared at Deng Yun in utter disbelief.
This idiot was causing trouble again!
Was that really something you could just ask aloud?!
Fang Qin immediately looked nervously toward Zhao Baozhu.
Yesterday, simply bringing him to Tengjin Pavilion had already made Ye Jinghua unhappy enough. If Zhao Baozhu suddenly blurted out the name of some woman, or worse, one of those foreign dancers from yesterday then Fang Qin truly might as well hand over his head on the spot.
Fortunately, after a moment of silence, Zhao Baozhu only said blankly: “I don’t remember.”
He vaguely felt he had dreamed something the night before, but the moment he woke up, it had all vanished.
The Fang brothers both let out enormous sighs of relief simultaneously, feeling as though they had narrowly escaped death.
Deng Yun, meanwhile, looked terribly disappointed. “Tch. Look at you, forgetting something this important—”
At this point, the Fang brothers wanted nothing more than to smash Deng Yun unconscious with a brick. Seeing him continue babbling nonsense, they aggressively moved forward, preparing to drag him away and execute him on the spot—
When suddenly a voice sounded behind them.
Someone lightly cleared their throat.
Turning around, Zhao Baozhu instantly lit up with delight. “Steward Li!”
Standing behind them was none other than the long-unseen Steward Li.
He still wore the dark blue robes marking his status as steward. A smile that was not quite a smile hung on his face as he looked at them. “So early in the morning and none of you are working. What exactly are you all doing here?”
Instantly, every one of the young men stiffened.
These past few days, with both Ye Jinghua and Steward Li absent, they had all become far too relaxed.
Steward Li maintained that fake smile as he clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward them. Then suddenly his expression changed completely, and he barked angrily: “I think you lot are becoming more and more outrageous! The sun is practically overhead and you’re still here gossiping? Just because Young Master isn’t in this courtyard anymore, you think no one’s managing things? I walked all the way here from the front, the garden’s such a mess people would believe it was some abandoned ruined temple in the wilderness! In just a few days Young Master will sit for the palace examination, yet the Wenquxing still hasn’t been set up in the Xipian pavilion? I haven’t seen a single stick of incense, a single sheet of offering paper, not one proper ceremonial tray! What exactly are you trying to do? Have you all decided to rebel just because I’ve been gone a few days?!”
He scolded them so thoroughly it was like a storm of spit raining over their heads, yet still did not seem satisfied.
Then he turned and spotted Deng Yun.
Immediately his eyes widened. “And you! What kind of appearance is this supposed to be?!”
Steward Li strode toward Deng Yun, jabbing a finger through the air at his disheveled hair and messy clothing as he shouted: “If you want to go out begging in the streets, I can throw you out today and even save one day’s worth of food expenses!”
Deng Yun inwardly screamed that things were bad. Hurriedly bowing, he cupped his hands apologetically toward Steward Li. “Steward Li, I truly apologize! Please spare me just this once! We just drank too late yesterday—”
“You still dare mention it?!”
Steward Li blew his beard and glared, directly kicking Deng Yun so hard he staggered sideways.
“Why aren’t you getting out of here and cleaning yourself into a proper human being immediately?!”
How could Deng Yun possibly dare remain in front of him any longer? Stumbling away, he fled at once, clutching the exact spot on his lower back where he had been kicked and gritting his teeth.
Why had Steward Li suddenly come back without warning?
He had been caught red-handed!
How had the main household not sent even a single message ahead?
Meanwhile, Fang Qin and Fang Li knew the reason perfectly well.
The previous night, Ye Jinghua had suddenly returned and happened to see Zhao Baozhu dead drunk, with his foot mysteriously swollen and red as well.
Naturally, he had been displeased with them.
And so? The very next day he had immediately sent Steward Li back to take charge again.
After finishing off Deng Yun, Steward Li turned his sharp gaze toward the Fang brothers like blades.
“Why aren’t you hurrying off to set everything in order? If by sunset this courtyard still looks like this, don’t blame me for reporting everything directly to Madam!”
Fang Qin and Fang Li hurriedly cupped their hands in apology and slunk away miserably.
At last, only Zhao Baozhu remained in the courtyard.
Steward Li turned back toward him, and his expression instantly shifted from storm clouds to sunshine. Walking over, he took Zhao Baozhu’s hand and patted the back of it warmly.
“Good child. I always knew you were promising. And now look at you, truly living up to expectations! You passed the jinshi examination after all. All those long days of hard studying weren’t wasted. Madam was so delighted after hearing the news she could hardly contain herself. I even brought something good for you.”
After saying that, he produced, as if by magic, a square redwood box. When he opened it, inside was a neatly arranged set of white jade belt hooks, dazzling in brilliance, along with a jade thumb ring of excellent translucency, and an ivory openwork folding fan carved with pavilions and terraces. Several items were laid out on crimson silk, the sight of them dazzling Zhao Baozhu until his eyes nearly went white with the glare.
“T-this… how could I accept this!” Zhao Baozhu did not dare to take them and pushed them away. “These are far too valuable, I absolutely cannot accept them.”
“Ah.” Steward Li, without giving him a chance to refuse, directly fastened the belt hook onto him and said, “This is nothing, hardly worth a few coins. You’re a jinshi now, how could you lack such things at your side? Don’t be fooled by the lofty gates of official residences; inside, it’s all people who fawn on the high and trample the low. You still need to wear a few items to keep up appearances, or others will look down on you.”
Zhao Baozhu had no choice but to let him put the items on. He did not resist too strongly also because he had something else on his mind. Now that Steward Li had returned, he could not help but ask: “Steward Li, the letter I asked you to deliver that day, ”
At this, Steward Li’s expression changed, a trace of guilt showing between his brows. He sighed softly, raised a hand, patted Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder, and said in a low voice, “Let’s not stand here. We’ll go inside and talk.”
Zhao Baozhu answered blankly and, led by Steward Li, went inside and sat down. Only under the light coming in through the window did he clearly see Steward Li’s face, and he was immediately startled. Just now in the corridor, with the backlighting, he hadn’t seen clearly. Now, taking a closer look, Steward Li had grown much thinner than before; his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and there were several more strands of white at his temples. He looked much older.
Zhao Baozhu was startled and asked with concern, “Steward Li, what’s wrong with you? Why do you look so unwell?”
Hearing this, Steward Li felt even more distressed. He had done wrong, although Ye Jinghua had restrained himself and not erupted, privately swapping his master’s letter was no small matter. If not for the fact that he had followed Madam Ye from her maiden home since her marriage and had personally raised several young masters, the Ye household would likely have already had him bound and sent to the authorities!
Even so, during this period he had suffered quite a bit of punishment, nearly shedding a layer of skin. Now seeing that Zhao Baozhu had already noticed his little actions yet was still willing to care about him, Steward Li was deeply moved. He secretly pressed the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, holding back tears, and sighed: “Good child, I know you have a kind heart. You mustn’t worry about me. These old bones of mine won’t die so easily.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu became even more worried, vaguely feeling that it must also have something to do with him. “Th-this… what exactly happened?”
Steward Li sighed and slowly recounted the mistake he had made. It turned out that after receiving Zhao Baozhu’s letter that day, he had opened it himself first. Upon discovering that Zhao Baozhu had already become a juren, he fell into great turmoil. Afraid that telling Ye Jinghua this news would distract him before the spring examinations, he found someone skilled at imitating handwriting to copy the letter anew, deliberately omitting the part where Zhao Baozhu confessed his juren status.
On the day of the spring examination, in order to prevent the two from running into each other outside the examination grounds, Steward Li even specially arranged a sedan chair, intending to send Zhao Baozhu early in the morning to the Confucius Temple first. Unexpectedly, he was caught by Ye Jinghua on the spot, and thus the matter was exposed.
Things were exactly as Zhao Baozhu had previously guessed. Steward Li was full of guilt and said in a low voice, “This matter was my fault, Baozhu. I know I truly wronged you this time… that letter wasn’t even sealed, yet I, a muddle-headed old fool, did something so shameless. I ought to be sent down to the halls of Yama and have those little devils slap my mouth properly, ”
Zhao Baozhu could not bear to hear such words and immediately said, “Steward, please don’t say such things!” He frowned, looked at Steward Li, and said seriously, “This matter is also due to my lack of consideration. I only thought of my own clear conscience, but did not think for the young master.”
Zhao Baozhu spoke sincerely. Thinking back to that day, if Ye Jinghua had suddenly learned of his identity, become angered because of it, and it affected the later spring examination, then he would be the one beyond redemption even in death!
The more Zhao Baozhu thought about it, the more frightened he became. Frowning tightly, he said, “I am truly too crude, I didn’t think of this at all… Fortunately, the young master has deep foundations and a temperament unlike ordinary people, and in the end took first place. If because of my letter his future had been ruined, then I would truly deserve death, and there would be no need for me to become any official! I’d simply go to the Dali Temple and file a complaint to end it all!”
Seeing how harshly he spoke of himself, Steward Li was instead startled and hurriedly persuaded him, “My ancestor, don’t say such things! Where is there any fault on your part? It’s all because I, this old fool, couldn’t see clearly and nearly delayed the young master’s future…”
It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned it. The moment Ye Jinghua was brought up, Zhao Baozhu felt as though someone had gripped the tip of his heart; his eyes reddened at once. Steward Li quickly stopped and comforted him, “Enough, enough, why speak such sad words now? The young master has already been named huiyuan. In the end it was all me, this old thing, worrying over nothing.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu’s expression gradually improve. “That’s right. There’s nothing the young master cannot accomplish.”
After a pause, he looked up at Steward Li again. “But… now that the young master knows, is he angry with me?”
He asked this cautiously, his eyes still slightly red, looking extremely pitiful.
Steward Li’s heart ached at once. He raised his hand to dab at the corner of Zhao Baozhu’s eyes with a handkerchief. “Oh my little ancestor, why think like that? How could the young master be that kind of person? You passed the jinshi exam, he couldn’t be happier–”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu unconsciously pursed his lips and said softly, “But he hasn’t come to see me, not even a word…”
He himself did not notice how aggrieved this sounded; the tail end of his voice carried a heavy nasal tone, enough to melt one’s heart. Steward Li immediately caught the attachment hidden in his words that even Zhao Baozhu himself had not noticed, and his heart jumped.
Though he had confessed, he had not fully explained everything. Zhao Baozhu being a juren was itself a shock, but more importantly, his status was now completely different. Previously they had all thought Zhao Baozhu was merely a refugee; though they had not treated him poorly and even pampered him, it was all with the intention of eventually keeping him in the inner courtyard to live well with Ye Jinghua. But he was not a woman, nor did he have a good background; no matter how good his relationship with Ye Jinghua, he would at most be a favored attendant, ultimately not someone who could be presented openly.
But now it was entirely different. Even a jinshi of poor birth was still a proper official, an appointed officer of the court, a student of the emperor! Scholars in this dynasty held extremely high status. Even the lowest-ranking jinshi, if anyone dared to coerce him in such matters, then not only Ye Jinghua, but whether Lord Ye could even keep his position would be uncertain!
Just the memorials from the Censorate could drown the Ye residence! Not to mention the spittle of public opinion.
At the thought, Steward Li’s scalp tingled. Now he was only thankful that they had never mistreated Zhao Baozhu in the past. Thinking of the hardship Zhao Baozhu had endured in the back courtyard during his first few days, Steward Li wished he could drag back those servants who had already been beaten and sold off and beat them to death!
When the main household heard that Zhao Baozhu was a juren, Madam nearly fainted. She immediately ordered that no one was to leak even a hint of the news. All the servants were warned thoroughly, and those prone to gossip were dismissed. The Ye residence was locked down tight as a barrel.
She also specifically instructed him not to treat Zhao Baozhu as a mere plaything anymore, and even more so not to let him know that Ye Jinghua had feelings for him.
Madam Ye believed Zhao Baozhu had no such intentions toward Ye Jinghua; previously it had only been admiration for his learning. Now that both were jinshi on the same list, it was a case of “the prince has intent, but the goddess has none.” If anything went wrong and angered Zhao Baozhu, Ye Jinghua’s reputation and even his future could be ruined!
Steward Li had come today intending to set aside his earlier thoughts and treat Zhao Baozhu simply as a friend of the young master. But just now, hearing Zhao Baozhu’s half-complaining, half-aggrieved words, he sensed something different.
After turning it over in his mind, he suppressed it and said gently, “Who says the young master didn’t come? Yesterday, when he heard you passed the jinshi exam, he was overjoyed. As soon as he returned from the master’s place, he came to see you that very night. It’s just that you were sleeping like a drunken cat and don’t remember it!”
