This year’s spring in the capital has been livelier than in previous years. The incident at Desheng Pavilion, where a fortune was lavished to compete for the courtesan, alone sparked endless discussions, with one wave of gossip barely subsiding before another arose.
“…That Cheng family is causing trouble again.”
“What is it this time? Are they still demanding the courtesan fees from Desheng Pavilion?”
“Having a daughter like that is truly shameful.”
“No, this time, the first master of the Cheng family has sued the father of Lady Cheng at the magistrate’s office, accusing him of maintaining separate household registration and hiding private assets.”
“…The second master is truly audacious…”
“…No wonder the second master is so bold. It’s an estate substantial enough to squander fifty thousand strings of cash – who wouldn’t be tempted to seize it for themselves?”
“…In that case, the first master of the Cheng family naturally refuses to let it go…”
“I never expected Lady Cheng’s family to behave so vulgarly. Such common, petty actions truly disgrace the identity of a disciple of the immortals.”
“…Disgrace? What disciple of the immortals would spend a fortune on a courtesan? It’s utterly absurd and ridiculous.”
“…Look at the chaos in this family – the upper beam is crooked, and the lower ones follow suit. It seems to me that the Cheng clan of Jiang-zhou is nothing but a nest of troublemakers.”
A burst of laughter erupted in the room.
It had been quite some time since laughter like this was last heard. The maids standing outside exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with relief.
Thank heavens, the young master was finally in good spirits again – this meant they could expect fewer scoldings and punishments.
“What a disgrace!”
Young Master Gao, leaning against the armrest, slapped his knee and laughed.
“The whole lot of them are a disgrace! What ‘disciple of the immortals’? She’s nothing but a flashy, absurd fraud!”
“Exactly, exactly,” a follower chimed in, playing along. “Immortals are above worldly desires – those who indulge in them are nothing but ordinary mortals.”
“She tried to make a fool out of me? Well, let’s see who ends up being the real laughingstock,” Young Master Gao said with a smirk.
While they were still laughing, a retainer hurried in from outside.
“Sir, is it true that you instructed the magistrate’s office to take on the property dispute case between the Cheng brothers?” he asked anxiously.
Young Master Gao nodded nonchalantly.
“Well? Isn’t it wonderfully scandalous and humiliating?” he said with a laugh.
The retainer wore a troubled expression.
“Sir, this might not be… advisable,” he said hesitantly. “If this continues, Second Master Cheng’s reputation will be utterly ruined. He might even be forced to leave the capital.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Young Master Gao replied, then eyed the retainer curiously. “What? Are you trying to protect him?”
“It’s not about protecting him. With him here, he serves as a check on Lady Cheng. If his reputation is destroyed and he’s driven from the capital, it will become much harder to keep her under control,” the retainer explained.
Young Master Gao burst into laughter.
“Keep her under control?” He abruptly stopped laughing and snorted derisively. “She’s just a woman. If she’s hard to control, it’s only because we haven’t truly wished to. If I really wanted to crush her, I could do it with a single finger.”
“Young Master, the issue is that this girl has always been meticulous in her actions – not a single drop of water could leak through,” the retainer said.
“Pah! ‘Meticulous’?” Young Master Gao laughed, cutting him off. “As you said, she’s just a girl. Father and the rest of you are overthinking this. Instead of focusing on how ‘meticulous’ she is, you should remember one thing: she is just a girl.”
With that, he stretched his arms and leaned back comfortably.
“Say no more. I’ll show you exactly how to deal with a mere woman.”
The outside world was in an uproar, but within the Cheng household, an unusual quiet prevailed – though this quiet felt entirely different from before.
Cheng Qi-niang stood at the courtyard gate, gazing at the main hall. Despite the vibrant spring outside, the hall seemed tinged with the desolation of autumn and winter.
From inside, the sound of arguments spilled out, mingled with her mother’s sobs.
It was happening again…
Just like back in Jiang-zhou, and now here in the capital, it had come to this.
No matter where they were, her parents and her uncle and aunt were no longer the same as before – not since that person had entered their family.
Before, they resented her because she was a fool, a source of shame that made the family a target of scorn. Their dislike of her had caused endless strife.
But now it was different. Especially since arriving in the capital, after accompanying her mother to several banquets, she had felt the genuine flattery and attention from others. Her elder sisters were now discussing marriage proposals – matches with prestigious families they wouldn’t have dared to aspire to in Jiang-zhou. Cheng Qi-niang was no fool; she knew this was all because of Cheng Jiao-niang.
Here in the capital, this “fool” was not despised or looked down upon. Instead, she was envied, admired, and flattered – and through her, the entire family, including the sisters, had gained respect as well.
By all reasoning, this should have been a good thing. Their lives should have been getting better and better. So why were the relationships among the elders worsening? From quarrels and silence at first, to now, physical fights and lawsuits.
The sound of crying grew louder, snapping Cheng Qi-niang out of her thoughts. She saw the main hall door swing open as First Master Cheng strode out briskly.
Noticing Cheng Qi-niang standing motionless at the courtyard gate, he paused mid-step.
Cheng Qi-niang had always been spoiled by Second Master Cheng and his wife, growing up willful and domineering within the household. Yet, beneath that willfulness had been the bright, carefree innocence of a young girl. Now, however, the once vibrant and spirited girl’s face was filled with anxiety and unease – like a lone goose, startled and separated from its flock.
Everything he was doing now was for the sake of the Cheng family, for the sake of their children and future generations.
But looking at the expressions on the younger generation’s faces now…
He could only hope this matter would pass quickly. Once it did, the Cheng family could finally settle into a stable and peaceful life, and these young ones could grow up properly, under better circumstances.
First Master Cheng’s expression softened.
“Qi-niang, are you settling in well in the capital?” he asked.
Cheng Qi-niang took a step back.
“Liu-niang misses all of you very much at home,” First Master Cheng said with a gentle smile. “She wanted me to bring you gifts, but I left in too much of a hurry to manage it.”
Tears fell from Cheng Qi-niang’s eyes, pattering down one after another.
“Uncle,” she sobbed, “why are you treating us like this?”
First Master Cheng looked at her.
“Because I have made mistakes, and your father and mother have made even greater ones,” he replied. “For the sake of our Cheng family – and for all of you – we cannot continue down this wrong path any longer.”
After leaving Cheng Qi-niang, First Master Cheng went straight to Cheng Si-lang’s courtyard.
Following the maids’ instructions to ensure Cheng Si-lang could recuperate in peace, four attendants had been stationed here to guard the area. That was why, no matter how fiercely Second Master Cheng had raged outside these past few days, he had never been able to get close to Cheng Si-lang.
The small courtyard was quiet and orderly. The servants attending here had been purchased by the maid – everything was kept clean and tidy, inside and out. A separate kitchen had been set up, and as it was nearly mealtime, the aroma of food wafted through the courtyard.
“Sister, the meal is ready. Is the Fourth Young Master still refusing to eat?”
Two maids were speaking, their faces full of worry.
First Master Cheng, standing at the door, paused for a moment.
He had already learned the full story of what happened to Cheng Si-lang.
This time, after arriving in the capital, he hadn’t gone directly to the Cheng residence. Instead, he spent several days thoroughly exploring the city – visiting teahouses, taverns, entertainment venues, bustling markets, and even temples and monasteries – to gather a clear and detailed understanding of everything related to Cheng Jiao-niang and the Cheng family’s recent affairs.
He could not afford to make the same vague, poorly informed mistake again. Once was enough.
The door opened. Cheng Si-lang lay facing the wall, seemingly asleep, but as the footsteps drew closer, he spoke.
“I don’t want to eat. Please take it away for now,” he said.
The footsteps didn’t retreat. Instead, the person seemed to sit down.
“Are you refusing to eat to make things difficult for her?”
“Haven’t you already caused her enough trouble?”
Hearing these words, Cheng Si-lang was taken aback. He quickly sat up and turned around.
“Father!” he exclaimed in surprise. “Why are you here?”
But as soon as he spoke, he remembered his own actions, and shame washed over him. He raised his sleeve to cover his face.
“Father, I have been unfilial,” he choked out. “I have brought disgrace upon our family.”
First Master Cheng reached out and gently pulled down his son’s arm, pushing up the sleeve to reveal the wrist tightly wrapped in white cloth and splints.
“Will it truly heal completely?” he asked.
Cheng Si-lang nodded.
“It will,” he replied.
If his sister said it would, then it would.
First Master Cheng nodded, then looked up at his son.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
Cheng Si-lang was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his father to ask such a question.
His father was strict. For him to have done something like this – even if Young Master Gao hadn’t broken his wrist, his own father might have broken his leg as punishment.
He never imagined that upon seeing him, his father would look at him with such concern and ask something like this.
A complex mix of emotions stirred within Cheng Si-lang.
“Eat your meal and focus on recovering quickly. By neglecting yourself like this, are you trying to make things difficult for your sister?” First Master Cheng said.
Mentioning it only deepened Cheng Si-lang’s shame.
“Father, I have been unfilial…” he began.
But before he could finish, First Master Cheng cut him off.
“In what way have you been unfilial? Was it just because you hosted a banquet for your fellow scholars at Desheng Pavilion, invited a courtesan to accompany you, and ended up in a heated dispute? That’s nothing more than a youthful indulgence, a bit of romantic flair among scholars – what is there to be ashamed of? What does it have to do with being unfilial?” he said, frowning. “So what if you competed for a courtesan? Scholars compete in studies and imperial exams – why shouldn’t they compete for a courtesan too? That’s just part of being young. What is there to be ashamed of?”
Cheng Si-lang stared at his father in astonishment.
Father?
“Your sister has already said this is a trivial matter. If you keep moping around, unable to let it go, are you defying her? Are you saying your sister is wrong?” First Master Cheng said, his eyebrows raised sternly.
“Father, Sister was only trying to protect me…” Cheng Si-lang replied, his voice heavy with shame.
“If you know she was protecting you, then why don’t you do the same for her?” First Master Cheng interrupted him again.
Protect her?
Cheng Si-lang stared at his father.
How could a useless person like him, who only brought trouble, ever protect her…
“If she says you were right, she is protecting you. Since she says you were right, then you were right – and you must show the world that she was correct. That is how you protect her. What does it mean to be a family? It means standing together, united against the outside world,” First Master Cheng declared, slapping Cheng Si-lang firmly on the shoulder. “Straighten up! What are you cowering for?”
“Straighten up! Show the world that you were right!”
“Straighten up! Let everyone see there is nothing for you to hide!”
Straighten up! Straighten up!
Cheng Si-lang instinctively sat up straight.
“Father,” he said, his voice trembling.
“Do not let her down. Even if you can’t help her in other ways, at the very least, do not hold her back. Do not hide away when she is standing up for you,” First Master Cheng said. “Learn from your mistakes. Do not let this error be in vain, nor let this suffering be for nothing. Above all, do not bring pain to those who care for you and joy to those who wish you harm.”
Cheng Si-lang looked at his father, then bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the ground.
“Thank you for your guidance, Father. I understand,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.
…
“Miss, what do you think?”
Ban Qin carefully unwrapped the white bandage from Cheng Si-lang’s wrist, revealing the injured area.
Cheng Jiao-niang reached out and gently pressed her hand over it, slowly rubbing and examining the spot.
“Fourth Young Master, does it hurt?” the maid asked with a smile, noticing how Cheng Si-lang seemed to turn his head away, as if afraid to look.
Cheng Si-lang smiled and nodded.
“It hurts a little,” he admitted honestly.
“Hurt is better than no feeling,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “If it didn’t hurt at all, that would truly be a bad sign.”
Cheng Si-lang nodded, a faint smile returning to his face.
After reapplying the medicinal dressing and performing acupuncture for a short while, Ban Qin bandaged Cheng Si-lang’s wound.
“Fourth Young Master, why did you come in person? Miss and I were planning to visit your home,” she asked as she worked.
“I’m going out today to have a drink with a few fellow scholars, so I thought I’d stop by on the way. That way, Sister doesn’t have to make a special trip,” Cheng Si-lang explained with a smile.
Ban Qin and the maid exchanged looks of mild surprise.
“Fourth Young Master, you’re going out for a drink?”
“Can I not drink?” Cheng Si-lang asked, seeming a bit taken aback himself. He quickly turned to Cheng Jiao-niang. “Sister, am I allowed to drink?”
“No, you cannot. You may have tea or soup instead,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Cheng Si-lang let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
“That’s good. Good thing I came to see you first,” he said cheerfully, rising to his feet. “It’s getting late – I should be going now.”
Cheng Jiao-niang stood up to see him out.
“Oh, and since you don’t go out much, is there anything you’d like me to bring back for you?” Cheng Si-lang turned back to ask.
“Fourth Young Master, just focus on your own plans,” the maid said with a light laugh. “If Miss needs anything, we’re here to take care of it.”
Only then did Cheng Si-lang smile, bow politely, and take his leave.
Watching his retreating figure, the maid smiled with a mix of relief and happiness.
“Miss, it’s so good,” she said, turning to Cheng Jiao-niang.
“What is so good at this moment about this matter? Or am I so good?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
The maid giggled.
“It’s good that you understand everything so clearly, Miss,” she replied cheerfully, tugging gently at Cheng Jiao-niang’s sleeve.
“Miss, let’s go out and have some fun too. It’s so stifling staying at home all the time.”
