“Beaten again?”
In the inn, the old servant of the Wang family frowned and asked.
Looking at the young attendant whose face was swollen on both sides, the others were both shocked and unable to hold back their laughter.
“How do you always have such bad luck?”
“Who hit you this time?”
The young attendant was both angry and embarrassed.
“How should I know?” he said indignantly. “After beating me, they all ran off! Even the doctor ran away!”
Suppressing the crowd’s laughter, the old servant examined the bruises on the young attendant’s face.
“This man knows his martial arts,” he remarked, then frowned. “What did you say to provoke him?”
“I didn’t say anything! I didn’t even see him—he just rushed out and started hitting me!” the attendant protested indignantly.
The old servant shook his head.
“Repeat every word you said to me,” he ordered.
The young attendant gave an obedient “Oh” and recounted his words from the incident.
“That doesn’t sound like anything offensive?”
The others agreed after hearing it.
“Right? This time, I even put on a smile and spoke politely, with flattery…” the attendant said, aggrieved.
Last time, the old servant had scolded him for being a bit too arrogant, which might have angered the other party. So this time—especially after hearing how formidable the Zhou family was—he had made sure to speak with extra respect and courtesy.
And yet, he still got beaten!
There was simply no justice in this world!
“I think the reason might be that you mentioned the Immortal’s Abode being connected to the Zhou family, which angered him,” the old servant said without a trace of amusement, his tone thoughtful. “But was that man furious because he didn’t want people linking the Immortal’s Abode to the Zhou family—or because he resents the Immortal’s Abode’s ties to the Zhou family?”
“Who the hell knows why? The guy’s just insane!” the young attendant spat bitterly. Then, as if remembering something, he let out an “Ah!” and added, “Right, right—he must be sick! His head and face were swollen like a pig’s!”
The old servant raised a hand, signaling for them to stop.
“Let’s go check on Lady Cheng’s condition first,” he said. “In any case, this Zhou family is clearly no ordinary household. If Lady Cheng recovers, then this marriage alliance will be worth pursuing. But even if she doesn’t improve, we must still maintain proper decorum. I’ll write to the master at once and report everything about the Zhou family in detail.”
“So, you mean we should prioritize the Zhou family?” one attendant asked.
“If necessary, we should prioritize the Zhou family—and only the Zhou family,” the old servant replied.
The attendants all widened their eyes in astonishment.
This time, the Wang family had agreed to Wang Shi’qi’s engagement to the Cheng family’s fool partly to indulge and placate Wang Shi’qi, and partly to secure ties with the Cheng family through Lady Cheng. Strengthening relations with the Cheng family would naturally mean disregarding the Zhou family.
Yet now, the old servant was saying something like this—implying that if the interests of the Cheng and Zhou families ever clashed, the Wang family might very well side with the Zhou family over the Cheng family.
Was this Zhou family truly worth that much?
By day, Desheng Pavilion was quiet and elegant, with the staff less busy than usual.
“Chun Ling, Chun Ling!”
A waiter beckoned.
Hearing her name, the young maid passing by upstairs peeked over the railing with a smile, then lifted her skirt and hurried down.
“Brother, thank you so much!” she said cheerfully. “Yesterday, when I went out with Lady Zhu, we visited the Kang family—just as you all mentioned before. Thanks to your advice, I brought an extra qin, and it really came in handy!”
As she spoke, she bowed to everyone.
“Miss praised me, and the Kang family even gave me extra reward money,” she added, pulling out a purse. “Please take this for some tea, brothers.”
“Ah, Chun Ling, you’re too kind!”
“No wonder Lady Zhu adores you!”
The group chimed in with warm praise.
“Come, come, let me tell you about two more families today,” one of the waiters said.
Chun Ling nodded gratefully and sat down to listen as the waiter shared amusing anecdotes about a prominent noble family.
“Oh, so that’s what their family is like? I’d never have imagined if you hadn’t told me,” she said after listening, then casually added as if by accident, “By the way, I wonder what kind of family the Zhou family—the Guide General—is like?”
“The Zhou family?” The waiter looked at her in surprise. “Chun Ling, you’re asking about the Zhou family?”
“I overheard someone mention them at the banquet yesterday. Since even the Kang family brought them up, they must be quite impressive, right?” Chun Ling blinked innocently.
The waiters let out an “Oh.”
“If the Kang family mentioned them, that’s not too surprising,” they chuckled. “But truthfully, the Zhou family isn’t some extraordinary household.”
Chun Ling’s eyes sparkled.
“Then why…?” she asked, feigning confusion.
She had nervously fabricated the detail about the Kang family bringing up the Zhous, but to her surprise, no one found it strange.
Had the Zhou family already become so well-known in the capital?
But then why did they say they weren’t impressive?
“Chun Ling, you arrived late—last year around this time, there was quite the sensational event in the capital…”
“…declared dead by all accounts…”
“…then someone came and cured them…”
“…so many in the capital have died from alchemical elixirs… yet just with some wine and meat, she healed Tong Neihan…”
Raising the dead to life—a divine healer, no wonder the Zhou name is renowned throughout the capital.
Chun Ling listened in astonishment.
The Zhou family actually had a divine doctor!
“So while the Zhou family isn’t some illustrious lineage, their future prospects are immense.”
“Tai Ping Residence, Immortal’s Abode, Yichun Hall—they’re all said to be connected to the Zhous…”
“Truly, the Zhou family enjoys both fame and fortune. They lack neither wealth nor talent, and are destined for greatness…”
That fool actually has such maternal relatives…
The waiters’ chatter grew indistinct in Chun Ling’s ears as her thoughts drifted slightly.
Why does that simpleton have such incredible luck?
And why does that simpleton squander such blessings so carelessly…
If only she and her sisters had a family like that—how different might their fates have been?
Heavens, how unjust this is!
“Ah, speaking of the Zhou family—it actually has some connection to you, Chun Ling,” one of the waiters suddenly remarked.
Chun Ling started and turned to stare at him.
“Me?” she asked, bewildered.
“Right. That divine doctor of the Zhou family isn’t actually their own daughter—she’s their niece, originally from Jiang-zhou,” the waiter explained. “They say she used to be a simpleton, but after being enlightened by True Master Li, she became a divine doctor…”
“That’s not so strange. Take Blind Wang on East Street—wasn’t she suddenly chosen by an immortal to become a spirit medium? So these gods and immortals seem to favor flawed people…” another waiter chimed in.
What?! What?!
Chun Ling’s expression froze in undisguised shock, her ears ringing as if struck dumb. Not a single word would come out.
“Lady Cheng.”
Standing outside the Yudai Bridge residence, the old servant straightened his robes and raised his hand to knock.
The door didn’t remain closed for long before someone opened it.
“Oh, it’s you,” Jin Ge’er said, eyeing the old servant and recognizing him. “What’s the matter?”
His attitude wasn’t particularly hostile.
The old servant felt a flicker of surprise.
“We were wondering if Lady Cheng has improved. My young master was concerned and sent me to check,” he replied with a smile.
Jin Ge’er nodded.
“She’s recovered,” he said.
Recovered?
The old servant was taken aback again.
Surely he was lying—weren’t they saying she was on the brink of death?
How could she have recovered in the blink of an eye?
Just as he was about to press further, a girl’s voice called from inside, asking who was at the door.
“It’s the Wang family’s servant,” Jin Ge’er turned his head and replied.
A girl’s voice inside seemed to ask something briefly, then soon spoke up more clearly.
“Miss says to invite him in.”
Invite him in?
Just like that?
The old servant was momentarily stunned, then frowned—had that young attendant exaggerated how difficult it was to enter the Cheng residence just to cover up his own laziness?
Wasn’t this rather easy?
Stepping into the courtyard, his gaze immediately fell on the girl seated beneath the corridor.
Her hair was neatly tied up, draped in a dark satin overcoat, her posture dignified as she regarded him with serene composure.
Regarding him…
During their previous two encounters, the old servant had also observed this girl, but aside from a fleeting admiration for her beauty, he had felt nothing more and quickly averted his eyes. This time, however, why did he find himself unable to look away the moment their gazes met?
Those deep, obsidian eyes were like whirlpools churning in a dark pool, pulling him in irresistibly, leaving him no chance to break free.
“Are you preparing to leave?” the girl’s voice spoke.
Only then did the old servant snap back to his senses, hastily nodding before shaking his head.
All traces of doubt had vanished—what dying person could possibly possess such a gaze?
It seemed the rumors had indeed been exaggerated!
Or perhaps, with the Zhou family’s rising influence, too many sycophants had swarmed around, muddying the truth.
But the words he needed to say still had to be spoken.
“You have only just recovered—there’s no hurry, no hurry,” he replied.
“My health is no concern,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “When have you decided to depart?”
“Whenever you wish,” the old servant asked.
“Ten days from now,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
The old servant had no recollection of how he had agreed or how he had left. By the time he regained his senses, he was already far down the street.
He had actually agreed!
Reflecting on his brief meeting with the girl and their exchange, he realized he had been completely steered by her.
Most unsettling of all, he hadn’t even noticed it at the time—her authority had felt utterly natural.
How had he, without thinking, treated a girl once known for her foolishness with the same deference he would show the head of the Wang family?
It was utterly baffling!
How had this happened?
Standing dazed in the street, the old servant wondered—was it because of his awe toward the Zhou family, his desire to curry favor with them, that he had unconsciously acted this way toward the girl?
Yes, that had to be it.
The Zhou family! The Zhou family was what truly mattered!
Taking Lady Cheng back to Jiang–zhou had once been a trivial matter, but now it was imperative to inform the Zhou family—no, to seek their explicit approval.
The old servant hurriedly strode forward.
Since there was no need to avoid the Zhou residence, Wang Shi’qi would have to pay them a visit in person.
“Why the rush? She should rest a while longer,” Wang Shi’qi grumbled reluctantly.
“Besides, why bother telling the Zhou family? We have Uncle’s letter—we can just take her directly. We don’t need the Zhou family’s permission…”
But though he held the status of a young master before the old servant, he lacked the authority of one. In the end, he was pressured into going despite his protests.
Yet, unexpectedly, while they hadn’t been barred from the door of Cheng Jiao-niang—who lived alone as an orphan—they were now stopped at the Zhou family’s gate.
“Our master does not receive guests,” the gatekeeper said.
“We are from the Wang family…” the old servant replied with a respectful smile.
Before he could finish, the gatekeeper cut him off.
“Go away, go away. No matter which family you’re from, he won’t see anyone.”
What kind of attitude is this!
“They acted the same way at Lady Cheng’s place…” the young attendant whispered urgently, his voice tinged with grievance.
Just as they were speaking, a carriage hurriedly arrived, and a young servant jumped out, pulling along an elderly man.
“Doctor, doctor, hurry, please hurry!” he urged anxiously.
“What’s the rush? Illness strikes like a collapsing mountain but recedes like unraveling silk—a little sooner or later makes no difference… Besides, it surely isn’t a life-or-death symptom… If it were truly fatal, there’d be no point in calling me…” The old man muttered, walking at a leisurely pace.
A doctor?
“Young man, is someone in your household ill?” the old servant couldn’t help but ask.
The gatekeeper instantly reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“No, no, no one in our family is sick!” he shouted, then without another word, slammed the door shut with a bang.
The Wang family servants stood dumbfounded.
“What kind of attitude is this!”
Wang Shi’qi glared, furious.
Last time, at least they had been allowed inside before being tied up—superficial courtesy had been observed. But this time, they weren’t even granted that basic pretense of politeness!
“See, see? This is exactly how they acted at Lady Cheng’s place…” the young attendant hastily chimed in again.
Before he could finish, the old servant smacked him on the head with the back of his hand.
“Shut your damn mouth! I never saw this kind of attitude at Lady Cheng’s!” he barked.
The young attendant’s face was still swollen from earlier bruises. Wide-eyed, he clutched his head and stared at the old servant.
“What did I even say this time? Hitting me again…” he protested, his voice thick with grievance.
