When Zhou Fu and Qin Hu arrived at the gate of the house, they happened to run into Cheng Jiao-niang as she was heading out.
“Where are you going?” Zhou Fu asked, frowning slightly.
“To Prince Qing’s residence,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Zhou Fu didn’t think much of it and simply stepped forward, but Qin Hu stopped.
“Lady Cheng,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang paused and looked at him.
“I’ve never been able to figure it out – how did His Highness Duke Jin’an persuade you to look after Prince Qing?” Qin Hu asked with a smile.
“Because he asked me, and I’m able to do it,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Qin Hu laughed.
“So you are that easy to invite,” he said with a smile.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled faintly, offered a polite bow, and got into the carriage.
“What are you doing?” Zhou Fu glared and bumped Qin Hu with his elbow.
“I’m curious,” Qin Hu said, stepping through the door first.
Once they reached the courtyard, the two of them sat under the corridor. The maids brought tea ware, and Qin Hu rolled up his sleeves to roast the tea.
“What’s there to be curious about?” Zhou Fu asked.
“I’m curious about who she will eventually marry,” Qin Hu said with a smile.
After the commotion at Desheng Pavilion stirred up by Zhou Fu, the Gao family had ended up in a disgraceful mess, yet they hadn’t retaliated at all. Instead, they had fallen completely silent.
“Looks like Master Gao has made his move,” Qin Hu said.
“The matchmaker went to the Cheng family yesterday,” Zhou Fu said, spitting in disdain. “They really have some nerve.”
“At times like this, not having nerve would be stupid,” Qin Hu said, pouring out the hot tea. “That’s why, when Master Gao takes action, it’s never ordinary.”
Zhou Fu took the tea and drained it in one gulp.
“Then… what should we do?” he asked.
Should I be thick-skinned too…
Qin Hu looked up at him. In the afternoon sunlight, the young man’s somewhat rough features had flushed red – whether from the heat of the sun or from downing the hot tea, it was hard to tell.
“Which is why I’m very curious,” Qin Hu said with a smile, pouring himself another cup and drinking it in one go.
…
“What do we do next?”
At that very moment, First Master Cheng, sitting in the Zhou family’s main hall, was saying the exact same thing.
He had come to see Cheng Jiao-niang, but since she wasn’t home, all he could do was wait here.
“Did the Gao family really send a matchmaker?” Master Zhou asked, sounding somewhat anxious.
First Master Cheng nodded.
He was inwardly furious as well – he hadn’t expected that, after such a scandal, the Gao family would still dare to send a matchmaker. They truly were not easy people to deal with.
“If they’ve sent a matchmaker, then why don’t we simply let Liu-lang and Jiao Jiao get married?” Master Zhou said from the side.
First Master Cheng looked at Master Zhou.
“In that case, we really won’t be able to stay in the capital anymore,” he said solemnly.
“How could that be? Over one ridiculous matter – would His Majesty really expel us?” Master Zhou scoffed. “It’s nothing more than a foolish affair between youngsters. Young people inevitably have some romantic entanglements. Private matters shouldn’t be judged on the court. His Majesty is not the sort who cannot tolerate others.”
First Master Cheng also let out a short, derisive laugh.
“You’re mistaken. We’re not talking about His Majesty,” he said. “We’re talking about Prince Ping.”
Prince Ping?
Master Zhou froze for a moment.
“Have you forgotten who first proposed the match, who first stirred up this whole matter?” First Master Cheng said.
It was Prince Ping!
This matter had nothing to do with the Emperor. As for whether the two families became in-laws or enemies, the Emperor had always been just an observer. And he was getting old – sooner or later, he would abdicate.
This matter was related to the Empress Dowager. Whether this marriage succeeded touched upon her dignity. In fact, her dignity had already been damaged. But although the Empress Dowager was still the Empress Dowager, she was even older, and as a woman of the inner palace, she ultimately could not sway the entire court.
But if this matter involved Prince Ping – the young, sole heir, the future emperor who would rule for a long time – his likes and dislikes would influence the court for many years to come. And that influence would extend even to his descendants…
“So you’re saying we really have no choice but to settle this matter,” Master Zhou muttered.
Settling it would be easy enough – only the price to pay would be the future prospects of their families.
“No wonder Jiao Jiao said they should simply go along with the situation and get married,” he added, stroking his beard awkwardly.
First Master Cheng let out a disdainful laugh.
“All thunder and no rain – you shout so loudly, but in the end you’re just scared,” he said. “I should’ve known an outsider like you couldn’t be relied on.”
That accusation was far too heavy, and Master Zhou would never accept it.
“Who’s scared? And who was it whose son caused this mess to begin with? Dragging my Jiao Jiao into trouble! What right do you have to act so high and mighty?” he retorted, spitting angrily without backing down.
Sure enough, they were quarreling again. The servants and maids waiting outside finally let out a breath of relief – this was the usual way the Zhou and Cheng families got along.
“What are you arguing about?”
Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice sounded, breaking the stalemate inside the room.
“Jiao Jiao.”
First Master Cheng and Master Zhou called out at the same time. Seeing her standing at the doorway, Master Zhou hurriedly took a few steps forward and positioned himself at her side.
First Master Cheng found such behavior beneath him; how one treated a young lady depended on one’s actions, not on shouting loudly.
“Whatever you decide about your marriage, we’ll do exactly as you say,” Master Zhou declared first.
Cheng Jiao-niang responded with an “oh,” offered a polite bow, and thanked him.
“Marriage is a small matter,” she said, turning to First Master Cheng. “Uncle, your timing is perfect – I was just about to go home.”
Go home?
At a time like this, she wanted to go home?
“Amitabha, she’s finally leaving.”
Upon hearing the news, Madam Zhou hurriedly chanted Buddha’s name in relief.
“Why is she leaving?” a maid asked.
Madam Zhou didn’t care about the reason – as long as the girl was gone and not in front of her, that was enough.
“But Second Master Cheng is still here. Even though First Master Cheng has confined him, as his daughter, how could she just sit back and feel at ease about it?” another maid asked curiously, puzzled.
“Ah – could it be that she’s going home because they’re going to discuss a marriage?” one servant suddenly guessed. “I heard Master say earlier that this matter must be resolved through a marriage agreement.”
“Then who is she going to marry?” all the maids asked at once.
Madam Zhou, nearby, immediately pricked up her ears.
“Isn’t it obvious? Naturally, it would be our Sixth Young Master.”
Heavens! My son! In the end, it’s you who has to pay the price.
Madam Zhou clutched her chest with one hand, and with the other – out of long habit – reached for the wine jug sitting on the table. Her trembling fingers poured a shallow cup, and she tilted her head back to drink it in one gulp.
Warmth spread through her whole body, and her wildly pounding heart finally calmed.
It was wine that that young lady had specially brewed for her.
The wine was excellent – but if only the wine were here without the girl, that would be even better.
“Jiao-niang, have you made up your mind?”
As soon as they returned home, First Master Cheng asked.
“Tell me – who are you going to marry?”
That old fool from the Zhou family had clearly chickened out and definitely wouldn’t dare bring up the marriage proposal again. But that didn’t matter – whether he spoke or not was irrelevant. As long as Jiao–niang said the word, he would go beat that Zhou brat until he obediently came to propose. Did they think that just because the Cheng family got beaten last time, they truly had no strength to fight back?
If it really came down to it – who would be afraid of whom!
Still, if she were to marry into the Gao family, that wasn’t impossible either. Judging from the matchmaker’s attitude, Master Gao seemed quite sincere; he even said he would personally visit once he returned, and they could discuss everything then.
If the Gao family was willing to bow their heads and take a wife, this matter might still have a chance to be resolved perfectly. Of course, it all depended on Jiao–niang’s stance. If she agreed, he wouldn’t mind being mocked as spineless – he would happily negotiate the marriage with the Gao family in peace.
“Who I’ll marry can be discussed later. For now, Uncle, take Father and return to Jiang-zhou immediately,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Return to Jiang–zhou?
First Master Cheng’s drifting thoughts were abruptly cut off, and he froze.
Now?
“Staying in the capital will be inconvenient,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “It’s better to return to Jiang-zhou.”
In the capital, once someone wanted to discuss a marriage, they could come to your door anytime, and you’d have no way to avoid them. But if they returned to Jiang-zhou, the travel time alone would be enough to delay things for quite a while.
Yes – delaying was the best strategy. How had he not thought of something so simple?
“Turning the heavy into light, turning the heavy into light!” First Master Cheng laughed heartily.
Cheng Jiao-niang only shook her head at his laughter and praise; she didn’t continue that topic.
“It’s just that sending Father back will still trouble you, Uncle,” she said.
First Master Cheng burst into another laugh.
“It’s very simple,” he said, pointing in a direction. “Just do what Master Gao did.”
At the end of April, Cheng Dong, a judge of the Grand Court of Revision, submitted a memorial requesting permission to return to his hometown upon receiving news of his mother’s critical illness.
By all accounts, since Cheng Dong began his service at the Grand Court of Revision, the number of days he has actually spent at the office could be counted on one hand. First, he recused himself for several days due to a case involving the Censorate. Shortly afterward, he withdrew again when his brother initiated a division of family property. No sooner was that dispute resolved than he claimed to have fallen ill, remaining at home to recuperate and refusing to see anyone. Now, he has outright requested leave to return to his hometown.
“First, his wife broke her leg, and now he wants to go back to his hometown. He’s really grown fond of using delay tactics,” one official remarked, shaking his head as he reviewed the memorial.
“Should we grant him leave or not?” another official asked in a low voice. “After all, it was Master Gao who arranged for him to come to the capital. Without his consent, would it be appropriate to let him leave?”
The earlier official tossed the memorial back onto the desk.
“What else can we do? How can we refuse someone whose mother is critically ill? Master Gao already returned due to his mother’s severe illness – should Cheng Dong be any different? There’s simply no way to stop this,” he said. “Moreover, Chancellor Chen has already approved it.”
The other official then looked over and saw the bright red vermilion endorsements on the memorial, along with the seal of the Imperial Archive.
“Let him delay if he must. What can a short delay achieve? Can he delay forever?” he remarked, shaking his head. “No matter how remote Jiang-zhou is, it’s just ten days away by fast horse.”
…
Watching the horse team gallop into the distance, Cheng Si-lang remained standing, gazing after them.
“You should have gone back with them, Jiao Jiao. No one would dare say anything if you returned now,” came the voice of Master Zhou from behind.
“Duke Jin’an has not yet returned. How can I break a promise once I have accepted the task?” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Since Cheng Jiao-niang stayed behind, Cheng Si-lang, who still needed acupuncture treatment for his injured hand, also remained.
“Sister, is this matter very difficult to handle?” Cheng Si-lang asked as they stepped through the gate in silence.
Ever since injuring his hand and hearing First Master Cheng’s words, he had carried on calmly and had not brought up the current situation on his own – but deep down, he couldn’t let it go.
If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t be facing such a predicament today.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Jiao-niang turned to him with a smile.
“Actually, all of you are overthinking it,” she said. “This matter really isn’t such a big deal.”
This wasn’t the first time Cheng Jiao-niang had said something like this – in fact, she had always maintained this attitude.
“Then what, in your eyes, truly counts as a major event?” Cheng Si-lang asked.
“Those matters that no one speaks of, yet exist nonetheless,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
What kind of matters were those?
Cheng Si-lang frowned, unable to grasp her meaning.
“Celestial phenomena,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“Solar and lunar eclipses?” Cheng Si-lang asked. “But people do talk about those. Besides, the corresponding omens – civil unrest, droughts – have already occurred.”
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head.
“No, celestial phenomena aren’t limited to just those,” she said.
Cheng Si-lang was astonished. There were other celestial phenomena besides solar and lunar eclipses? What were they? How could he not know?
“That’s precisely why I find it strange,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, looking at him. “There is one thing that someone clearly already knows about, yet no one has spoken of it – as if it never happened. Such a matter is either truly insignificant, or… it will become a major event.”
