Cheng Qi-niang jolted upright with a scream, only to realize that daylight had already come.
She was not in the carriage, nor at a post station or an inn, and certainly not in one of those unnamed private residences belonging to officials.
The furnishings of this room were exquisite, warm like spring.
This was the house in the capital she had moved into yesterday – the one her foolish sister had arranged for her.
The residence was large. Even in her dazed, absent-minded sweep of the surroundings, everything she saw could only be called refined. It had to be a luxurious home. But because of yesterday’s sudden incident, no one had been in any mood to look around and examine it…
She didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep.
As she sat up, hurried footsteps sounded chaotically outside the bed curtains.
“Seventh Young Lady.” The maids hurried over, trying to soothe Cheng Qi-niang, who had sat up.
Cheng Qi-niang pushed them aside and scrambled toward the window, shoving it open.
A blast of cold wind hit her in the face, making her shiver. But she could now clearly see the courtyard outside: small and compact, yet carrying a grandeur different from the southern homes she was familiar with.
This was the capital. This was the capital where that foolish sister lived.
“Seventh Young Lady, you’ve only just woken up, you can’t let the wind blow on you,” the maids fussed, pulling her back and reaching to close the window.
Cheng Qi-niang slapped out a hand to stop them.
“Fourth Brother!” she shouted loudly.
Everyone followed her line of sight outside, where they saw a young man stepping through the courtyard gate.
“Fourth Brother.”
Cheng Qi-niang hastily gathered up her hair, threw on some clothes, and ran out.
Waiting in the main hall, Cheng Si-lang greeted her with a polite smile.
“I went to the academy, so I could only come today. Are you getting used to living here? I–” he began.
Before he could finish, Cheng Qi-niang burst into loud sobs.
“Fourth Brother, my father was taken away!” she cried.
Cheng Si-lang, a bit embarrassed, hurried to comfort her.
“No, no, he wasn’t taken away. It’s… it’s like offering one’s body with a birch branch to plead guilty,” he explained.
When Second Master Cheng entered the capital, his daughter and his brother-in-law personally went out to welcome him. Right outside the city gate, Master Zhou publicly berated Second Master Cheng and even personally escorted Second Master Cheng to the Censorate.
Along the way, Master Zhou made no effort to avoid being seen, swaggering through the streets, so word had already spread everywhere.
But his real intention was, ultimately, for Second Master Cheng’s own good. After all, the impeachment against him had already been raised by Feng Lin. Although Feng Lin was gone now, this matter could not simply be erased with a single stroke. Otherwise, sooner or later someone would bring it up again as grounds for attack, so a conclusion needed to be made.
To voluntarily plead guilty was naturally the best possible gesture, even if Master Zhou’s manner had been somewhat exaggerated.
Cheng Qi-niang didn’t understand any of this and wouldn’t listen, only covering her face and crying nonstop.
“She did it on purpose to harm my father – she wants my father dead!” she sobbed.
Cheng Si-lang did not appreciate hearing that.
“Qi-niang,” he said sternly, face tightening, “how can you speak like that? Do you know that Uncle’s conduct nearly got her killed? People were shouting to beat her, to execute her. All of this happened because Uncle acted improperly and gave others a handle to use against him. Being sent to the Censorate by Master Zhou is far better than having the Censorate come to our home to seize him.”
“What’s more, Sister also lived in the Censorate before – she was taken there, and she’s a woman.”
“How can you turn right and wrong upside down and blame her instead?”
Cheng Qi-niang was stunned by his shout.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
“Fourth Brother, you don’t like me anymore, you only like her now,” Cheng Qi-niang wailed again.
Cheng Si-lang was caught between laughter and tears, about to continue comforting her when a maid came running in joyfully.
“Master has returned,” she reported.
A warm towel was pressed against his face. Even though the maid’s movements were already as light as possible, Second Master Cheng still sucked in a sharp breath, and raised his hand to slap the maid across the cheek.
“Get out.”
The maid covered her face, not daring to speak further, and quickly withdrew.
Second Madam Cheng reached out to take the towel and personally applied the warm compress to Second Master Cheng’s face.
“Master Zhou – he was far too heavy-handed,” she fumed as she worked.
Just hearing the name “Zhou” made Second Master Cheng remember the humiliation he’d suffered.
“He bullied me because he had numbers on his side. I should have brought more people,” he said angrily.
Thinking of Master Zhou’s fierce, vicious attendants – and then remembering his own frail, weak followers who had been kicked aside with ease – Second Master Cheng ground his teeth in hatred.
Truly, like a tiger fallen to the flatlands, bullied by dogs!
“Master, don’t be anxious – people from my maiden family will be arriving soon,” Second Madam Cheng hurried to say.
“What use are they now!?” Second Master Cheng snapped, flinging the hand towel into the basin. “Living easy and acting like young lords, are they?”
“At the time, there was no way for them to travel together with us,” Second Madam Cheng said. “Our group was already moving so slowly, and we kept buying things along the way. If we’d brought them along as well, who knows – we might not have arrived until next year.”
At the words “buying things,” Second Master Cheng suddenly straightened.
“Those things!” he exclaimed.
Along the journey, in every place they passed, local officials and gentry had flocked to pay visits. Besides being fed well and lodged comfortably, they were taken to sightsee, watch operas, and enjoy amusements. And when it came time to depart, everyone presented gifts – enough to fill an entire wagon to the brim.
Those items were Second Madam Cheng’s treasure; hearing him mention them, she hurriedly nodded.
“They’re here, stored properly. As for the silks and satins – there isn’t time to have new clothes made now, so we’ll save them for spring garments. And some of the gifts you can put away for New Year’s – just right for giving and receiving. We’ve saved a great deal of money…” She spoke animatedly about all the plans she’d made.
Before she could finish, Second Master Cheng interrupted her.
“What giving and receiving? They’re all going to be taken away!” he barked.
Second Madam Cheng froze.
Taken away?
Those were her things! Who could take them?
Just as they were speaking, a commotion erupted outside the door.
“Hurry up, hurry up – move the goods and go!”
Thunderous shouts rang out.
Second Madam Cheng rushed to the doorway and looked out, seeing a crowd of fierce-looking attendants pouring in. As they parted, Master Zhou swaggered out from their midst.
Him again!
“Master!” Second Madam Cheng looked toward Second Master Cheng in terror. “What does he want this time?”
Second Master Cheng glared, eyes bloodshot with rage, staring at Master Zhou who now stood in the courtyard, hands on hips and belly thrust forward – just like at the Censorate.
“…Is that all?” Master Zhou stood with his hands on his hips and asked, “Just borrowing a few relay horses and eating a few meals?”
As he spoke, he lifted the riding whip in his hand again.
“Speak!” he roared.
Second Master Cheng trembled in fright and stumbled back two steps. The several censors beside him hurried forward to block Master Zhou.
“Master Zhou, Master Zhou, please calm your anger – let’s talk this over, talk this over properly,” they babbled anxiously.
What was this situation!
The very people being delivered into the Censorate now had to be protected by the Censorate.
Second Master Cheng was furious and flustered all at once.
“Don’t you try to be stubborn. Every single one of the things you did has already been investigated and reported!” Master Zhou paced back and forth, righteous indignation on his face, gripping his riding whip. “How did our Zhou family ever produce something as disgraceful and shameless as you!”
Like hell I’m from your Zhou family!
Second Master Cheng nearly jumped out of his skin in rage.
“Master Zhou, please, calm yourself – let’s speak properly,” the censors once again forgot their dignity and stepped in to persuade him.
“As for the gifts that were accepted, it would be… inconvenient to return them.”
After thinking it over, one of the censors offered this suggestion.
“And we mustn’t investigate too thoroughly.”
As he spoke, he gave everyone a meaningful look – you know what I mean.
If they dug too deeply, the officials who had given those gifts would inevitably be implicated.
They had traveled through so many places, met so many officials; if the matter of gift-giving really triggered investigations, then it would truly become a major scandal.
“Of course they can’t be returned,” another censor said.
“That makes it simple, then.” Master Zhou stopped pacing and turned to look at Second Master Cheng.
Under his gaze, Second Master Cheng shuddered.
What new humiliation does this old bastard have in mind now?
“Right now Maoping is stricken by disaster. The court is providing relief, the government is opening its granaries, and local gentry are cooking porridge to aid the victims. Second Master Cheng should also do his part for the court and the common people.” Master Zhou’s voice was cold. “Donate your family’s wealth in full. Let this ill-gotten wealth taken from the people be returned to the people.”
“That’s mine!”
Second Madam Cheng’s shrill scream rang in his ears. Second Master Cheng snapped back to his senses and looked at the Zhou family attendants ransacking the place like they were conducting a confiscation.
“You! What do you think you’re doing!” he shouted, stepping forward and shaking out his sleeves.
Master Zhou did not back down. He stepped forward as well, eyes wide.
“What do you think I’m doing!” he bellowed. “Do you truly not understand what needs to be done here? Have all your years in government gone to the dogs?”
Second Master Cheng’s face turned ashen at his roar.
Although he had been stunned senseless by Zhou at the city gate, once he entered the Censorate he learned what had happened in the capital during his journey. He hadn’t held office for nothing – cold sweat drenched his back at once.
Strictly speaking, his offenses weren’t great. But that’s how officialdom worked: if they say you’re guilty, the tiniest thing becomes a crime; if they say you’re not, you could even write subversive poetry and still receive imperial reassurance.
This matter must not leave a formal record. Otherwise, anyone could pull it out at any time – and it could cost him his life.
“Master, Master,” Second Madam Cheng shook his arm anxiously, urging him.
Second Master Cheng shook her off, lifted his robes, and strode forward.
“I’ll do it myself!” he shouted.
As the various chests large and small were carried out, Second Madam Cheng clutched her chest and finally couldn’t hold back her tears.
“Heavens above!” she wailed, even more grief-stricken than when Second Master Cheng had been hauled to the Censorate by Master Zhou.
Standing off to the side, Cheng Qi-niang looked terrified, clutching tightly at Cheng Si-lang’s sleeve while her mother’s sobbing filled her ears.
The capital – the capital was not good at all.
“She’s a bad person! She’s a bad person! One day she’ll bring disaster upon you all!”
The voice of Cheng Liu-niang echoed in her ears.
Cheng Qi-niang couldn’t hold it back anymore and began crying again. Suddenly, the hand she was gripping slipped free – Cheng Si-lang had stepped away from her side.
What happened?
She looked over and saw Cheng Si-lang, face full of delight, take two steps toward the doorway.
“Sister!” he called out, unable to hide the joy in his voice.
Sister?
Following his gaze, Cheng Qi-niang saw that at some point several people had appeared in front of the screen wall. Among them, a girl wrapped in a large cloak was just lifting her hood, revealing her face.
Beautiful – but cold. Those eyes looked at them, yet seemed not to be looking at them at all.
Cheng Qi-niang shuddered involuntarily, retreating two steps to lean against a servant woman.
“Sister, why have you come?” Cheng Si-lang asked happily.
“Isn’t this my home? With the New Year coming and Father here as well, naturally the family should be reunited,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, smiling faintly.
…
“She’s gone back?”
Duke Jin’an heard the news from an attendant as well.
“It’s nearly New Year,” the attendant said softly.
Of course one would spend the New Year with one’s parents. The duke nodded, his thoughts drifting slightly.
“Wei-lang.”
The Emperor’s voice called from the other side.
Duke Jin’an hurriedly answered and strode forward.
“No need to worry so much. It’s only a round trip of less than half an hour to speak with them. With so many people tending to him, how could they possibly fail to look after Prince Qing? Don’t trouble yourself with wild worries,” the Emperor said.
He glanced at the attendant who was withdrawing with his head lowered.
Duke Jin’an answered with a smile, then went to sit down on the other side of the First Prince.
“These assignments – you did them yourself?” the Emperor asked, glancing over the papers before him.
Duke Jin’an nodded.
“Not bad, not bad,” the Emperor praised. He continued flipping through them as he spoke, “I heard you went to the government office? And you took over the duties rather quickly?”
“Yes. I wish to share Your Majesty’s burdens,” the duke replied, straightening his posture.
The Emperor looked up at him, smiled again, and nodded.
Beside them, the First Prince looked from Duke Jin’an to the Emperor, a faint displeasure flickering in his eyes – along with a tension and unease even he had not noticed in himself.
“I always knew you were the cleverest – just unfocused,” the Emperor said with a laugh, setting the papers aside. “From now on, be diligent.”
Duke Jin’an answered obediently and bowed.
“I shall not disappoint Your Majesty’s expectations,” he said.
He’s the cleverest?
How could he be the cleverest?
I am the cleverest! My assignments are the best!
The First Prince’s gaze flickered. His expression grew slightly panicked, his eyes fixed on Duke Jin’an.
I am the best!
