The lively scene at Tai Ping Residence continued.
The scholars, drunk and tipsy, laughed, sang, and danced before swaying on their horses as they scattered away.
This commotion attracted curious onlookers at first, and then some people came over to ask.
“What’s going on here?”
“This is a restaurant!” the scholars answered, slurring, “No, no, it’s not just any restaurant. Here, we have fine calligraphy and fine dishes.”
Fine calligraphy?
To the passersby, fine calligraphy didn’t seem particularly enticing, and fine dishes…
What could possibly be so special about these that had the scholars so excited?
The table mats were being cleared, and people started to step into the hall.
“Hey, what do you have here?”
“Two meat dishes to try.”
“What drinks do you have?”
Xu Maoxiu withdrew his gaze and looked towards the carriages and horses.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled and curtsied to him, bidding him farewell.
“Sister, go ahead with peace of mind,” Xu Maoxiu said.
“Young Master, you’ll be working hard. Why not hire more people?” the maid sitting beside Cheng Jiao-niang said, her face unable to hide the joy.
“Let’s discuss this with Manager Wu first,” Xu Maoxiu replied.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded, and the maid lowered the curtain of the carriage.
Xu Maoxiu didn’t turn around until he could no longer see them, and by then, the front of Tai Ping Residence had already been cleaned up, with a few people scattered inside the hall.
“Some things are actually quite easy to do,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.
“That depends on who’s doing it,” Fan Jianglin replied with a smile when he heard.
Xu Maoxiu laughed heartily.
The carriage moved slowly along the road, and as they neared the city gates, the maid’s smile faded.
“Miss, what should we do about the marriage proposal that Master Zhou mentioned?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her.
“What about it?” she asked.
“Miss,” the maid moved closer to her, “The Qin family is considered a very good match in Master Zhou’s eyes. They wouldn’t take what you say seriously.”
At this point, the maid sighed.
Who would take what Miss said seriously?
Marriage is a matter of great importance—arranged by a matchmaker, with parents’ approval. The troubling part is that Miss’s parents are unreliable; it would be better not to have any parents at all.
She knew the Qin family’s status, and others naturally knew it too. No need to guess—whether it’s the Zhou family or the Cheng family, if they found out, they would not object at all. Instead, they would be overjoyed.
“It doesn’t matter. If it were someone else, I’d have to put in some effort, but since it’s the Qin family…” Cheng Jiao-niang said with a slight smile, “Someone else is worrying about it for me.”
Cheng Jiao-niang raised her chin slightly toward the outside. The maid looked out in confusion and saw a carriage and a horse stopped near the gate, with Zhou Liu-lang standing tall.
The carriage and the horse were outside the gate, not entering. The courtyard gate was wide open, and people on the road could easily see the maid setting down the cushions in the inner corridor.
Because he was an outsider and she was living alone as a woman, he couldn’t enter the house, to maintain propriety and clarity.
The host and guest sat separately. Since the maid was busy, the task of serving tea and water was left to Ban Qin. She lowered her head, placed the three cups of water neatly, and then hurriedly stepped aside.
“Did my father come by?” Zhou Liu-lang asked directly.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Then, you know about it?” Zhou Liu-lang asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded again.
“Well…” Zhou Liu-lang began, but then wasn’t sure what to say.
“You see, although it wasn’t intentional, it still caused trouble for you,” Young Master Qin smiled and continued, while offering a bow.
“That’s not necessary,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, “It’s the lack of anyone asking that is the real trouble.”
The two of them were stunned.
This lady really has no shame, how dare she say such things, Zhou Liu-lang glared at her.
Young Master Qin laughed heartily.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” he said.
“That’s best,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, standing up.
She was about to see them out, when a young servant hurried over—one to support Young Master Qin, and the other to place the cane properly.
Zhou Liu-lang had just noticed that something as simple as sitting or standing required Young Master Qin to rely on two people and a cane for assistance…
Zhou Liu-lang couldn’t help but clench his hand that was hanging at his side.
“Cheng Jiao-niang,” he called, “What will it take for you to treat his illness?”
Cheng Jiao-niang stared at him, saying nothing.
Zhou Liu-lang continued to look at her, veins bulging on his face.
“Liu-lang, you really are boring,” Young Master Qin said.
He didn’t look at Zhou Liu-lang or Cheng Jiao-niang. After speaking, he turned and walked away, leaning on his cane. The wooden cane made rhythmic tapping sounds on the stone road, heading only toward the gate.
Zhou Liu-lang flicked his sleeve and turned, striding away.
“Miss, the water’s ready. Please wash up and rest,” the maid said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded and, with the maid’s support, walked inside as the courtyard gate was closed, separating them from the outside.
The Duke of Jin’an hurried along, and as he neared the gates of the inner palace, he carefully looked around before taking a step. After just two steps, someone suddenly jumped out with a loud “Ha!”
The Duke of Jin’an was startled and turned around to see the little mischievous prince.
“What bad thing are you doing? You got scared!” The Second Prince laughed heartily.
The Duke of Jin’an felt guilty, and his face involuntarily turned red.
Although the Second Prince was young and couldn’t see it, the two eunuchs accompanying him noticed everything clearly. They exchanged a glance and lowered their heads.
“I just took a quick walk outside the palace. What bad thing could that be?” the Duke of Jin’an said, resuming his normal pace as he walked forward. “But what about you? Have you finished your studies for today?”
It’s always the most troublesome for children when they start studying, and sure enough, upon hearing this, the Second Prince stopped asking about the Duke of Jin’an’s business. With a crumpled little face, he tugged at the Duke of Jin’an’s sleeve.
“It’s too much, and I can’t remember any of it. The Empress will ask me about it in the evening, Help me!” he said.
The Duke of Jin’an grinned.
“Then, what’s in it for me?” he asked.
The two joked and left, while in the distance, a group of people approached and stopped when they saw them.
“Duke Wei is five years older than me, yet he’s playing with my younger brother,” said a round, chubby boy, who was noticeably shorter than the Duke of Jin’an.
The ten-year-old First Prince, though still carrying the childish innocence of his age, had a noble air about him—something that came from the palace’s upbringing and set him apart from children of other families. His every move carried an air of pretended maturity, thanks to the constant guidance of those around him.
“The duke is carefree, without worries, so it’s no surprise he gets along with the Second Prince,” an attendant beside him said with a smile.
“Yes, it’s easier being a duke, not like me, who already has to follow Father to manage affairs of state,” the First Prince said. Though he spoke with a hint of lament, his expression still carried a sense of superiority.
“My lord, we dare not speak of such things,” the attendants quickly replied with smiles.
The First Prince waved his hand dismissively.
“Let’s go. Father is waiting,” he said, walking with his hands behind his back, his steps measured and dignified.
Not long after the Duke of Jin’an returned, the Empress Dowager knew about it.
“Where did he go?” she asked.
“To the outskirts of the city to practice archery,” the eunuch replied with a smile.
The Empress Dowager looked at another eunuch.
“Then why the hurry?” she asked.
This eunuch was the one who had been following the Second Prince earlier. Upon hearing her, he stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Majesty, it seems there was an unexpected incident,” he said.
The Empress Dowager looked at him.
“Just now, I inquired with the people who were accompanying the duke. They said that on the way, they encountered a lady’s carriage, and… and…” he lowered his voice, hesitating.
The Empress Dowager’s brow furrowed.
“A lady?” she said, “What happened? Speak quickly!”
The eunuch was startled and quickly knelt down, moving a few steps forward.
“He shot at the other person’s carriage with an arrow…” he said softly.
“And then?” the Empress Dowager asked.
“Then… then the duke ran off,” the eunuch replied.
“Just like that?” the Empress Dowager asked.
The eunuch recalled the information he had gathered and nodded firmly.
“Whose family?” the Empress Dowager asked.
“From the family of Minister Chen Shao,” the eunuch said.
The Empress Dowager seemed to be lost in thought.
“Was it intentional, or was it a mistake?” she asked.
“It should have been a mistake. At that time, a swallow flew by, and the prince hadn’t caught anything after hunting in the wild for half the day, seeming a bit anxious. The arrow hit the Chen family’s carriage, and the duke seemed startled as well. He didn’t even finish apologizing before running off, telling those who followed him not to spread the word, especially not to let you know, Your Majesty.” The eunuch smiled. “The duke is really too mischievous.”
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then finally smiled.
“That’s just his nature,” she said. “Alright, let’s not speak of this anymore.”
The eunuch bowed and withdrew.
“Your Majesty, the duke isn’t a child anymore,” a palace maid, who had been attending to her, said softly as she brought over tea, her words carrying a certain implication.
The Empress Dowager took the tea but said nothing.
The room fell silent for a moment.
“I wonder which child from the Chen family it was?” she suddenly said with a smile. “I imagine Minister Chen is going to be furious.”
The family of the Ministry of Personnel official was shot at in broad daylight, in front of everyone—clearly a cause for embarrassment and anger.
“Find out for me! Which reckless person did this!”
Chen Shao threw an arrow onto the ground and barked.
This was the malicious feathered arrow pulled from the carriage.
The steward quickly reached down to pick it up. It was an ordinary feathered arrow, but upon closer inspection, one could still make out its markings.
He acknowledged the order and withdrew.
