“Another incident?”
On the other side, Old Master Chen asked in surprise.
An elderly servant nodded.
“They mobilized archers and nearly tore down Tai Ping Residence,” he said. “All five men were arrested.”
Frowning, Old Master Chen set down the book scroll in his hand.
“Who was it this time?” he asked.
He was asking who, not why.
“They were hunting deserters,” the old servant volunteered.
“Deserters?” Old Master Chen repeated, then shook his head. “Deserters are nothing. How could they arrest people just for that?”
This wasn’t the border army—deserters who fled here were no different from ordinary folk. Who would bother with them?
“It’s true, Master. The officers shouted it on the spot,” the servant insisted.
“That was just for show,” Old Master Chen said.
“Someone reported them anonymously,” the old servant added, sharing what he had heard.
Old Master Chen chuckled and shook his head again.
How could that be?
Would an anonymous report really be enough to mobilize such a large force and arrest everyone in one go? Nothing in the world was that simple!
“Go and have the master inquire about what really happened,” he instructed.
The old servant acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Old Master Chen shifted his posture, resting his head on one hand, deep in thought.
“Deserters?” he murmured. “A trivial matter like that?”
Before long, a servant hurried in.
“Old Master, the master is receiving a guest,” he reported.
“A guest?” Old Master Chen frowned. “Who is it?”
“It’s Vice Minister Cui from the Ministry of War,” the servant said.
The Ministry of War?
Old Master Chen straightened in his seat, his brow furrowing.
It seemed this was indeed no trivial matter.
At the same time, outside the door of Zhou Liu-lang’s room, a servant was peeking in.
Inside, the sound of women’s cheerful chatter filled the air. Zhou Liu-lang stood in the hall, watching his mother and maids pack clothes.
“This one must be taken, that one must be taken,” they said, wiping away tears as they worked.
“We’ll first go to Shan-zhou. Grandfather and Grandmother have already made thorough arrangements at home. Mother, there’s no need to worry, and we can’t take this much anyway,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
“Their arrangements can’t compare to mine,” Madam Zhou replied, dabbing her tears while scanning the room. She pointed at a maid, instructing her to stuff in a few more thick winter coats.
Zhou Liu-lang shook his head, then noticed the servant by the door.
This was one of the gate attendants—could it be…?
“Lady Cheng is here,” the servant mouthed silently to him.
Damn that girl!
Zhou Liu-lang clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
From the very first day he had known of her existence, there had not been a single moment that brought him joy upon recollection!
She can come or not—it’s not like she thinks much of me anyway!
He turned his head away without a word.
“…Liu-lang, this robe is too small now. We should make a few new ones…” Madam Zhou held up a garment, measuring it against him as she spoke.
Zhou Liu-lang nodded absently.
…Why is she here?
No one visits the inner chambers without a reason…
And this girl least of all.
If she cared nothing for marriage matters, then why suddenly come to the house? Did she have some other urgent business—something she did care about?
Zhou Liu-lang turned his head, and the servant quickly gestured at him again.
“Liu-lang.”
Madam Zhou’s voice sounded right beside his ear.
Startled, he whipped his head around to see her standing right in front of him.
“What are you two up to?” she demanded, glancing at the servant.
The servant lowered his head.
“Nothing,” Zhou Liu-lang replied.
Madam Zhou wasn’t buying it.
“Speak! What are you sneaking around for?” she barked at the servant.
The servant trembled in fright.
“Lady Cheng is here,” he blurted out immediately.
Madam Zhou was startled too.
“What is she here for?” she asked, eyeing Zhou Liu-lang. “Is she forcing the marriage issue?”
In the past, such words might have made Zhou Liu-lang’s heart flutter in agitation—but now…
“Whatever she’s here for, it won’t be that,” he scoffed.
Madam Zhou could no longer focus on packing clothes and hastily sent a maid to inquire. Before long, the maid returned.
“The master and Lady Cheng have gone out,” she reported.
“Gone out?” Madam Zhou was even more astonished. “Where? For what?”
“They said something has happened,” the maid replied.
Madam Zhou and Zhou Liu-lang’s expressions shifted slightly.
“Another incident? What’s happened now?” they asked in unison.
Master Zhou returned quickly. Cheng Jiao-niang had barely finished two cups of tea in the teahouse when he walked in.
“It really was an anonymous tip—just a coincidence. There are countless anonymous reports, but this one happened to reach Liu Kui,” Master Zhou said as he took a seat. “And this Liu Kui, with too much time on his hands, actually decided to make a big deal out of it. I couldn’t find him earlier, but I’ll go to his house soon. Jiao-niang, don’t worry. Leave this matter to me.”
His tone grew indignant.
“These blind fools actually dared to arrest people at Tai Ping Residence! Don’t they know what Tai Ping Residence is? It’s practically my—ahem, ahem…”
Though he firmly believed Tai Ping Residence and Immortal’s Abode were as good as his own, he couldn’t very well say so outright in front of their true owner.
Especially since Cheng Jiao-niang herself had never acknowledged it.
“This time, if I step in, can I mention you?” he asked tactfully.
Cheng Jiao-niang seemed lost in thought and did not reply.
Master Zhou felt slightly uneasy and cleared his throat.
“Military affairs in the court are currently tangled in endless disputes. Liu Kui stirring up this mess won’t earn him any credit—he might even get reprimanded. He’ll regret it soon enough. He must have made reckless claims when reporting this, or else the Ministry of War would never have approved it,” he said with a chuckle.
Cheng Jiao-niang, who had been lost in thought, looked up at him.
“Why wouldn’t the Ministry of War approve it?” she asked.
Master Zhou stroked his beard and smiled.
“Though it was never openly stated, everyone knew Old Master Chen recommended Tai Ping Tofu to Master Minghai back then,” he explained. “So most people are aware that Tai Ping Residence has some connection to the Chen family. In fact, many even speculate that the Chen family is the real owner behind the scenes.”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
She was well aware of this misconception—one she had no intention of correcting. Besides, it wasn’t entirely untrue.
“Vice Minister of War Cui Qi is of the same faction as Minister Chen,” Master Zhou explained. “If he had known these deserters were from Tai Ping Residence, he would never have approved the arrest. So don’t worry—there’s no need for you to intervene. I’ll go and settle this matter with them myself.”
Cheng Jiao-niang’s expression remained unchanged as she gazed at Master Zhou, seemingly deep in thought.
“What faction?” she suddenly asked.
“What… what faction?” Master Zhou was momentarily confused.
“You said the Vice Minister of War and Minister Chen are of the same faction—what faction is that?” Cheng Jiao-niang pressed.
Master Zhou chuckled. After all, she was a young girl from the inner chambers—how could she understand court affairs or follow such discussions?
“It just means they share the same stance,” he explained with a smile. Realizing she might still not grasp it, he added, “For instance, in the current matter of punishing Wang Butang and selecting a new Northwest Frontier Military Commissioner, the two of them are in agreement.”
Cheng Jiao-niang gave an acknowledging oh.
“So you see, if the arrest of deserters leads to an investigation that implicates Tai Ping Residence, wouldn’t that put Minister Chen in a difficult position? Vice Minister Cui wouldn’t do something like this at such a time,” Master Zhou said reassuringly. “You can rest easy—”
“Why wouldn’t he do it at this time? Is there something critical happening now?” Cheng Jiao-niang interrupted with another question.
This girl really is curious about everything…
Since it was rare for her to seek him out for help—proof that she regarded him as family—Master Zhou felt both pleased and a little smug. He patiently continued.
“Well, that’s a long story,” he said. “Do you remember the last time I was framed by that Liu fellow?”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“That incident was just a trivial matter,” Master Zhou said, his tone turning indignant. “That Liu fellow seized the perfect moment—when the emperor was furious over the defeat in the northwest. The civil officials were hounding Wang Butang relentlessly, piling up memorials of impeachment as tall as a man. Even with the backing of Grand Coordinator Gao, the pressure couldn’t be contained. Wang Butang was stripped of his rank and investigated, and his subordinate Liu Jun was even beheaded as a warning. At a time like that, the slightest mishap could be reported straight to the emperor and branded a major military offense. That’s why it became a life-or-death crisis—no one dared to step in and help. If not for you, Jiao Jiao, our family might very well have been thrown into prison en masse…”
Of course, if not for you, these troubles might never have arisen in the first place. But Master Zhou would never voice that thought aloud.
He merely sighed, his expression a mix of resignation and worldly detachment.
“Such is the nature of court strife—a life-and-death struggle, sweeping away entire factions in its wake…”
“Who is Wang Butang?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
Master Zhou frowned slightly—this girl was digging too deep.
“He was the former Prefect of Suzhou and Northwest Frontier Military Commissioner, and once served as a Bureau Director in the Bureau of Military Affairs,” he explained. “It’s the highest military position—not just anyone can attain it. Even Wang Butang wouldn’t have reached it so easily if he hadn’t secured a powerful patron…”
“Was his patron Grand Coordinator Gao?” Cheng Jiao-niang pressed.
She really listens closely.
Master Zhou nodded.
“Who is he?” Cheng Jiao-niang pressed further.
This girl really doesn’t let go…
“The Imperial Consort’s surname is Gao…” Master Zhou said, then added meaningfully, “And so is the Empress Dowager’s.”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded in understanding.
“Were Vice Minister of War Cui Qi and Chen Shao among those relentlessly targeting Wang Butang?” she asked again.
Ah, sharp—she’s piecing it together even without being told.
“Yes,” Master Zhou confirmed with a nod.
“So that’s why they’re considered allies?” Cheng Jiao-niang clarified.
Master Zhou nodded once more. Ah, right—we’ve circled back to the original question after all this detour…
Cheng Jiao-niang fell silent, her thoughts unspoken.
“So don’t worry about this matter—it’s just a trivial issue,” Master Zhou said, returning to the original topic. “I’ll go see Liu Kui tomorrow, and I’ll also send word to the Ministry of War…”
“Uncle,” Cheng Jiao-niang interrupted, “there’s no need.”
Master Zhou was taken aback.
“What do you mean, no need?” he asked.
“You’ve already helped me enough with this matter. The rest doesn’t require your involvement,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Is she saying this out of concern for troubling me… or because she no longer needs my help?
Master Zhou instinctively assumed the latter.
Is she planning to approach the Chen family directly herself?
“There’s no need to trouble Minister Chen with this. It’s just a minor matter—I can handle it,” Master Zhou said with a laugh.
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head.
“This is no minor matter,” she replied. “At first, it might have been. But now, it no longer is.”
Master Zhou was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.
After all, she’s still just a young girl. After everything that’s happened, she’s being overly cautious.
“I’m not being overly cautious,” Cheng Jiao-niang said calmly. “It’s just my habit to always prepare for the worst.”
Master Zhou’s expression grew solemn as he recalled this girl’s methods.
“What… have you thought of? Do you know who it is you’ve offended?” he asked.
When she had first come to tell him that Xu Maoxiu and the others had been arrested, his immediate thought was that she had provoked someone again. But she had said she couldn’t recall offending anyone and asked him to inquire further.
Had she remembered now?
“What I’ve offended may not be a person,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Not a person?
If anyone else had said this, Master Zhou would have slapped them without hesitation. But coming from this woman…
The teahouse was quiet, the sunlight blocked out, casting a gloomy pallor. The girl before him sat upright in plain robes, her face pale and expressionless, her eyes dull and fixed…
And when he considered all the strange events surrounding her…
Though he preferred to keep his distance, as an official, he couldn’t help but believe a little in the supernatural.
Not a person…
Master Zhou shuddered involuntarily.
“Then… what is it?” he asked with a forced chuckle.
“Luck,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
